The Jersey
by Kurama's Lucky Dice
Summary: NOTICE: RATING INCREASED TO 'T' We've all seen it, hats have been traded, jerseys have been borrowed. Now follow the journey of one jersey as it brings two opposites together, united through dance, baseball and talent. Rating may change. CHYAN SLASH...
1. Prologue

**The Jersey**

AN: I do not own anything to do with High School Musical 1, 2 or 3 and am not making any money off this, it's purely for entertainment. So enjoy, and please leave a review. Flames are welcome if you are so inclined, but I at least want to know this is being read before I post the next chapter, which is already done.

**Prologue**

_(Ryan) Hey, batter, batter, hey batter, batter swing.  
(Chad) I've got to just do my thing.  
(Ryan) Hey, batter, batter, hey batter, batter swing.  
(Chad) Yeah  
(Ryan)  
I'll show you that it's one and the same:  
Baseball, dancing, same game.  
It's easy:  
Step up to the plate, start swingin._

_(Chad) I wanna play ball now, and that's all.  
This is what I do.  
It ain't no dance that you can show me. yeah  
(Ryan) You'll never know  
(Chad) Oh I Know.  
(Ryan) you'll never try.  
(Chad)There's just one little thing that stops me every time yeah.  
(Ryan) Come on!  
(Chad) I don't dance.  
(Ryan) I know you can.  
(Chad) Not a chance. No.  
(Ryan) If I could do this, well, you could do that.  
(Chad) But I don't dance.  
(Ryan) Hit it out of the park!  
(Chad) I don't dance.  
(Ryan) I say you can.  
(Chad) Not a chance.  
(Ryan) Slide home, you score, swingin on the dance floor.  
(Chad) I don't dance, no.  
(Ryan)Hey, batter, batter, hey batter, batter swing.  
(Chad) I've just got to do my thing.  
(Ryan)Hey, batter, batter, hey batter, batter swing.  
(Chad) Yeah.  
(Ryan)  
Two-steppin, now you're up to bat.  
Bases loaded, do your dance.  
It's easy:  
Take your best shot, just hit it.  
(Chad)  
I've got what it takes, playin my game,  
So you better spin that pitch you're gonna throw me, yeah.  
(Ryan) I'II show you how I swing.  
You'll never know  
(Chad) Oh I know._

_(Ryan) you'll never try._

_(Chad)There's just one little thing that stops me every time. Yeah._

_(Ryan)Come on! _

_(Chad) I don't dance.  
(Ryan) I know you can.  
(Chad) Not a chance. No no.  
(Ryan)If I could do this, well, you could do that.  
(Chad) But I don't dance.  
(Ryan) Hit it out of the park!  
(Chad) I don't dance.  
(Ryan) I say you can.  
(Chad) Not a chance. No no.  
(Ryan) Slide home, you score, swingin on the dance floor.  
(Chad) I don't dance, no.  
(Ryan) Lean back, tuck it in, take a chance.  
Swing it out, spin around, do the dance.  
(Chad) I wanna play ball, not dance hall.  
I'll make it a triple, not a curtain call.  
(Ryan)  
I can prove it to you til you know it's true,  
Cause I can swing it, I can bring it to the diamond too.  
(Chad)  
You're talkin a lot  
Show me what you got.  
Stop.  
(All) Swing!  
(Ryan)  
Hey  
Come on, swing it like this.  
Oh, swing!  
(Chad) Ooh  
(Ryan) Jitterbug... just like that.  
That's what I mean; That's how you swing.  
(Chad) You make a good pitch but I don't believe.  
(Ryan) I say you can.  
(Chad) I know I can. but  
(Ryan and Chad) I don't dance.  
(Ryan) You can do it.  
(Chad) I don't dance, no.  
(Ryan) Nothin' to it .Atta boy, atta boy. Yeah.  
(Chad) Hey, batter, batter, hey batter, batter what?  
(Ryan) One, two, three, four, everybody swing!  
(Ryan and Chad) Come on!  
(Chad) I don't dance.  
(Ryan)I know you can.  
(Chad) Not a chance. No no.  
(Ryan) If I could do this, well, you could do that._

_(Chad) But I don't dance._

_(Ryan) Hit it out of the park!_

_(Chad) I don't dance._

_(Ryan) I say you can.  
(Chad) Not a chance. No no.  
(Ryan) Slide home, you score, swingin on the dance floor.  
(Chad) I don't dance, no._

"Evans," The staff baseball game had just ended at Lava Springs Country Club and Ryan Evans' team had won thanks to said superstar hitting an amazing home run to center with bases loaded. Now Chad called after him, confused by something the blonde had said during the game.

Ryan grinned to himself before turning to face the chocolate star of East High's basketball team. "Yeah?"

"Why do I get the feeling when you said 'I'll show you how I swing' it had nothing to do with baseball?" Chad asked quietly, not wanting the others to hear.

"Probably because it didn't." Came the smirking reply. Chad glanced over his shoulder and quickly changed the subject.

"I'm not saying I will, but if I did dance in the talent show, what would you have me do?" Everyone cheered and Ryan just met his eyes looking smug. Together, they all walked to the shaded picnic tables to enjoy the rest of their day off.

* * *

"I love the hat, Ryan." Gabriella said. "Most people look goofy wearing but you really pull it off."

"Yeah," Chad chimed in, "my mom tried to get me to wear one for pictures one year. Looked horrible. I like it on you though." He finished, flushing slightly when he realized how that last part sounded.

"Oh I don't know, I think you could wear it, let's see." Without waiting for Chad's immanent protest he swept off the boy's baseball cap and replaced it with his own, swiftly donning the cap himself. Chad's flush brightened when the girls hooted and Gabby pulled out her compact mirror for him to take a look. He had to admit it looked pretty good.

Uncomfortable with everyone still staring, especially Ryan, he quickly shoved attention away from himself by doffing his jersey and offering it to Ryan, half expecting him to refuse it, with the explanation "Since it seems like you've joined my team now."

Ryan's cheeks pinked slightly but he accepted the jersey. The smell of Chad's cologne and sweat wafted up to him and he had to close his eyes for a moment to just breathe it in.

"Hey man, you ok?" Chad placed a hand on Ryan's shoulder when he saw the boy's eyes close and he started to sway slightly.

Ryan's eyes snapped open. "Yeah, just a little dehydrated I guess." It wasn't a total lie, his mouth had suddenly gone dry. He smiled gently when Chad jumped up in response to fetch him some water. Conversation resumed and the group spent hours just talking about sports, the talent show, and the upcoming school year. In Chad's eyes, it was the best day of the summer... so far.


	2. Chapter 1

**AN: Again, don't own anything. I just want to thank my Beta, Baby Bro. He's not only the smartest and nicest guy in the world; he is in fact my lil brother. Also, a big thank you to my readers, I would probably still write this anyway, but it wouldn't be nearly as much fun without having reviews to look forward to, so thank you. Now, on to the REAL meat of the story.**

**Chapter 1**

It was Friday evening and Chad was in the employee's locker room preparing for a lonely weekend off work. Somehow, Troy and Taylor had both been scheduled so hanging out with either of his best friends was out of the question. His other friends would have teased him for that thought but Taylor really was just a friend. She knew he was interested in someone else, though not who, and he was well aware of her lack of attraction to the male species.

Distracted as he was by trying to come up with weekend plans, Chad almost missed the slightly smaller frame standing directly behind him when he went to turn around. Luckily he managed to stop just inches before a collision could occur. Not so luckily it also left him close enough to feel Ryan's breath on his face. Both boys froze before Ryan woke up enough to take a step back, trying to suppress a smirk as Chad fought to quell the sudden heat in the pit of his stomach. Finally Chad cleared his throat and spoke into the tense silence.

"Sorry 'bout that, didn't hear you come up. Did you need something?" Ryan stopped trying to hide it now and let a smirk blossom on his face.

"Not really, I was just giving you a chance to ask." Confusion creased Chad's brow.

"Ask what?" He said, though he had a sneaking suspicion he knew the answer already, it'd been on his mind since the baseball game three days prior.

"Well, we haven't been away from prying ears since the game, so I suppose it's possible you've forgotten." Ryan looked like he sincerely doubted it. He took a step closer causing Chad to step back. "Come on, don't you want to know what I meant?" Ryan taunted, tilting his head ever so slightly.

Chad couldn't speak, could hardly even breathe, all he could do was swallow and nod. Ryan's smirk widened as he pulled Chad's freshly washed jersey from where it was hanging, tucked into his back pocket.

"It's like you said, I'm part of _your _team." He took another step in causing Chad to once more step back, only to find he couldn't go any farther as his back hit the lockers, the door to the one belonging to him still wide open next to him. Without breaking eye contact, Ryan leaned in and hung the jersey in the open locker, before turning away and sauntering out.

Finally able to move, Chad groaned softly and slid down the lockers til he was seated on the floor in front of them. His heart was thumping so loud he was surprised not to hear an echo in the empty, mostly concrete room. Taking a few deep, shuddering breaths he brought himself back under control and stood up. Hand shaking he pulled the jersey out and couldn't stop himself from bringing the article to his face and inhaling deeply, knees nearly collapsing when he recognized the scent that had graced the hat Ryan put on him just a few days prior. It was crisp and clean, like clothes dried on a line outside in the sun, with a hint of something pine-y as an undertone that was almost impossible to describe. '_If I live to be 100,'_ Chad thought to himself '_I'll never be able to define that smell as anything other than purely Ryan.' _Holding the shirt close, so that every shift in the air blew that smell up to him he grabbed his pack, shut his locker, and left for the weekend, a far away look in his eye and a smile gracing his lips. The weekend looked better already.

* * *

Ryan walked out of the room, an almost giddy bounce in his step. If things worked out as planned, which, surprisingly they had a lot more than usual as of late, this weekend would be one for the records. Mind on his plans he let his feet carry him aimlessly and was surprised to find himself on the baseball diamond where he'd first started to reveal his crush. He'd expected the object of his desire to at most brush him off, or even hassle him about his "queer streak," or at the least not even notice the signs he was giving off. Imagine his delighted surprise when Chad not only noticed, but reciprocated.

His heart had nearly stopped when Chad passed him his jersey. He remembered being surrounded in the other's scent, deeply heady and masculine. He sat on the very same bench they shared that day and continued his reminiscing. So vivid were his memories he could almost hear the other boy's laugh and feel the heat of his knee bumping his as Chad's swung side to side. He remembered how it came to pass that he took that jersey home. Chad had started to give his hat back to him…

_"Come on, man. Give it back, that's my favorite hat." Chad said, snatching for his cap off Ryan's head. Unfortunately he moved just a fraction too slow and Ryan managed to dance out from under his fingertips. _

_"But I like it, it's comfy." Ryan teased._

_"Look man, you can keep the jersey for now, as long as you get it back to me by Friday, but I want my cap back." Chad bargained. The thought of getting to keep the jersey made Ryan's breath catch. A twinkle entered his eye as he looked at Chad and thought._

_"Fine, I'll tell you what. I give you back your cap, but you keep my hat and promise to wear it sometimes, it almost looks better on you than it does on me."_

He remembered his glee as Chad flushed and agreed, before snatching back his hat too quick for Ryan to change his mind. He'd taken the jersey and slept in it every night until Friday when he'd hatched the next step in his plan to get Chad.

* * *

Chad got in his truck to drive home. He'd started to put the jersey in the passenger seat before changing his mind and putting it on instead, inhaling deeply that scent that was quickly becoming a drug to him. Coming out of his stupor, he felt something in the breast pocket of the jersey. Reaching in he pulled out a neatly folded square of paper and smiled. Unfolding it he saw handwriting so neat and precise it almost made him feel clumsy just reading it. Dead center in the piece of paper were two words.

Call me.

Yep. This weekend was definitely looking up.

* * *

Once again Ryan was staring at his cell phone. It'd been two hours since he'd returned the jersey with his note hidden inside. '_I guess it's too much to hope he found it already. _He thought. _Hell, he probably just left the shirt in his locker.' _The thought made his stomach drop. '_If he hasn't called by tomorrow afternoon, I'll call him.' _Ryan thought with finality. He bit his lower lip, nervous. Sure in front of Chad he was Mr. Confidence but truly Ryan was extremely nervous that he would be rejected. '_Tomorrow. No matter what I'll talk to him by tomorrow.'_

_

* * *

_

'_Should I call him?' _Chad had just gotten in his truck and found the note. Ryan's number had found its way into his cell after Chad found it in his yearbook, penned in the same precise handwriting that graced the paper in his hand. Ever since Troy had joined the all-school musical first semester Chad had seen a lot more of Ryan Evans, a boy he'd previously been unaware of as more than his twin sister's shadow. Ryan had taken it upon himself to help Troy practice and Chad, being a good friend (and inexplicably drawn to the peppy blonde, though he'd never admit it, even to himself) offered his support and watched their practice to critique from an audience viewpoint.

It was during the after party when Ryan was pressed against him as the danced with Taylor and Kelsey, respectively, that he realized that strange attraction was just that, attraction. For the rest of the party, Chad's eyes were glued to Ryan as he danced with just about everyone there, even one or two of the guys. That party was also the source of his apprehension. One of the guys Ryan had danced with was Jae Danvers, one of the hottest guys in school, and one of the few open gays.

'_Why in the world would Ryan want me when Jae Danvers is obviously interested in him?' _Chad wondered. Hanging his head for just a moment Chad started his car and drove home.

By the time Chad got home his mom had dinner all set and ready. She, his dad, and his 5 year old twin sisters, were already seated.

"Sorry I'm late; Ryan stopped me to ask about the talent show." He hoped his blush wasn't obvious. Luckily he'd remembered to remove his jersey before entering the kitchen. He could only imagine the looks his family would give him for wearing it when he didn't have any sort of game going on.

"Oh, what did he have to say?" His mom asked. Her honey colored hair and almond eyes were shining, her milk chocolate skin contrasting sharply with her undyed cotton blouse. His dad sat at the head of the table to her left. His bald head shone and his dark chocolate eyes matched the color of his skin. His mouth was turned down slightly in disapproval. The thought of his son dancing was more than a little distasteful. His sisters on the other hand constantly teased him about dancing like a ballerina. Little Tanya had even offered him her tutu. Tanya and Jessie were identical, distinguishable only by Jessie's hair always pulled back in two braids while her twin's hung loose. They sat in their booster seats, empty plates in front of them eagerly awaiting the steaming cheeseburger casserole sitting in the middle of the table. As he took his place at the end of the table, across from his dad, Chad responded, fighting to keep his voice steady.

"Oh, well he asked if I could hang out this weekend to learn some new moves." He explained, keeping his eyes down as he served first Tanya then himself. "I said I'd call him tonight after I made sure it was alright." He lifted his eyes to his mother as he passed her the casserole.

"Of course sweetie, just let us know where you'll be." And with that a comfortable silence descended over the table.

Chad sat at his desk in his room, laptop open in front of him, glowing screen showing him logged into his instant messenger, with none of his buddies logged on. After dinner he'd offered to do the dishes, then retired to his room where he'd fired up his laptop and proceeded to check his e-mail. He'd logged into his IM hoping someone he could talk to would be on, when that failed he picked up his latest novel, Dead Beat, a _Dresden Files_ novel by Jim Butcher, anything to put off calling Ryan, to give him just a little while to calm his fluttering stomach. Too distracted to read he put down his book just as his mom passed by. She paused at his door to question him.

"Did you call Ryan and see when he wanted to get together?" Chad inwardly cringed at his mom's word choice. Would he and Ryan "get together"? Nonetheless he picked up his cell before replying.

"I was just about to." It'd been 3 hours since Ryan had confronted him in the country club's locker room. Breathing deeply, and glancing at the jersey laying across his bed, he hit the call button and held the phone up to his ear.

* * *

Ryan stared at his cell phone as it jingled in his hand, the screen telling him that Chad Danforth was calling. He shook himself out of his disbelieving stupor and answered before Chad could change his mind and hang up.

Chad listened to the phone ring, half hoping Ryan wouldn't answer and spare him the embarrassment. After five rings he was about to hang up when the sixth ring was cut off midway. A hesitant "Hello?" came across the line. Taking another deep breath Chad tried to keep his voice from shaking.

"Hey, Ryan? It's Chad." He smiled lightly as he successfully quelled the tremor in his voice.

"Hey Chad, what's up?" Ryan's voiced sounded like he was trying to force casual. It reassured Chad that he wasn't the only nervous one.

"Hey, um, I was wondering, I'm not working this weekend so, um," Suddenly his nerves were back full force. Did it sound too much like he was asking Ryan on a date? He forced himself to continue. "Did you wanna catch a movie or something?"

Ryan smiled at how Chad made it sound like this was his own idea and not spurred by a note snuck into a pocket like they were still in 7th grade. "Sure, a movie would be fun. Did you have one in mind?"

Chad breathed a sigh of relief, he'd still kind of expected Ryan to laugh at him. More confident now, Chad chuckled. "Actually, Yes Man just opened today and Jim Carrey is one of my favorite actors. Do you like comedies?"

"Who doesn't like Jim Carrey?" Ryan said, a smile evident in his voice. "What are the show times?"

"Just a second, let me check." Chad turned back to his computer screen and his fingers flew at the keys. Blessing his speedy internet connection he read off the times. "In the morning there's 8:50, 9:45, 11:10," he paused, would Ryan prefer a morning or afternoon show? Before he could continue Ryan spoke.

"Is the 8:50 too early for you? I love the early morning showings when barely anyone else is there." Chad stored that tidbit away for later before responding.

"Nope, 8:50 works. I'm an early riser anyway."

"Ok well, want to meet there? Or I could pick you up?" Ryan offered with a blush, counting his blessings that Chad couldn't see it.

"Sure, you can pick me up. Do you know where I live?"

Ryan's blush deepened remembering one day after school when he followed Chad home, curious as to the type of house the other boy lived in. "Yeah, I know where you live. I'll pick you up at quarter after?"

"Um, yeah, I'll be waiting. See you tomorrow." Chad was nervous again. Was this really a date, with Ryan picking him up and everything?

"Ok, tomorrow." Ryan agreed. "G'night."

"Good night." Chad replied softly and hung up.

That night, both boys fell asleep anxiously awaiting the next morning.


	3. Chapter 2

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I know my chapters aren't very long but every time I try to write a long one I get stuck on the perfect stopping point, so my deepest apologies. Who knows? Maybe I'll get better as the story progresses. Anyway... in response to FettishFoxx's question, the reason Chad doesn't seem to have any doubts about liking Ryan and going on a date with him is because he dealt with all of that over the school year when he first started noticing him. I'll go more into it later but that's the simple answer for now.**

**As always, please leave a review. Anonymous reviews are welcome so tell your friends. And so, without further ado....**

**Chapter 2**

So eager was he for the day ahead, Chad woke up half an hour before his alarm was set to go off. Aware of the futility of going back to sleep he got up to start his day. After showering quickly he walked back into his room, clad only in a towel. Opening the door to his closet he immediately regretted not choosing an outfit last night. He stood in the middle of his walk in closet turning in a slow circle, not really seeing the clothes in front of him. He thought of Ryan and how clean-pressed he always looked.

As if summoned by the thoughts of its former owner, the hat Ryan gave him caught his eye. Words from that day drifted through his mind, a promise. "_…you keep my hat and promise to wear it sometimes…_" He pulled it down from the shelf on which it sat. The color jogged another memory, this one of his mother buying him a dress shirt to wear to his cousin's wedding two months previous. Excited now that he may have solved his wardrobe dilemma, he spun around and instantly located said shirt. The color was a perfect match to the hat in is hand. Chad was sure the shirt, worn open over a simple white tank and his nice blue jeans, would make the perfect impression. Just slightly dressier than his usual attire, it was sure to catch Ryan's eye.

Quickly dressing, hat in hands, Chad headed downstairs. He deposited the hat on a table in the hall, where he could grab it on his way out, before entering the kitchen. He kissed his mom on the cheek as he passed her. Melissa did a double take as she saw her son's clothing.

"Wow, what's the occasion?" She asked playfully.

"Oh, um, Ryan's picking me up in an hour. We're going to go see Yes Man and then work on the talent show performance." Chad explained hastily, as he kissed his sisters on their cheeks and then tickled them.

"I think Chaddy's in looove." Giggled Tanya. Charles looked up from the paper.

"Tanya! Boys do not love boys." He said sharply. Melissa narrowed her eyes at her husband.

"Don't say that, Charles." She reprimanded. "Listen girls, love is never wrong, ok? A boy can love a boy and a girl can love a girl just like a boy can love a girl. You're both girls, right? And Daddy and Chad are both boys, right?" The twins nodded, confused by their parents' sharp tones. "So remember that." She said, though her eyes were still on their father.

Chad sat down, uncomfortable with the topic. Luckily that was when his mom served the pancakes and all conversation stopped. An hour later the doorbell rang and Chad practically skipped into the hall to get it. He snatched up his hat and slid it on before smoothing his shirt and opening the door. His breath caught as it really hit him that Ryan Evans, star of his dreams for the past 6 months was standing on his doorstep, waiting to go to a movie with him.

"You ready?" Ryan said after a moment. Chad blushed at being caught staring.

"Yeah, let's go." He stepped out and closed the door behind himself. He nearly tripped over his own two feet when he saw the car sitting by the curb in front of his house. Ryan chuckled when he saw Chad's jaw hanging open. He reached over and gently pushed on Chad's chin with two fingers. Chad looked over at him, then back at the car. He walked all around the sleek silver Lamborghini, running one finger along the body reverently.

"She yours?" He asked Ryan over the top when he finally got his voice back.

"Yep, hop in." They climbed in and once again Chad was struck speechless. The interior was a smooth, powder blue leather with silver accents that perfectly complimented the owner. "Wow, it's only been 2 minutes and I've already left you speechless twice. Maybe I should have brought the Porsche instead."

Chad's eyes bugged. "You have a Porsche, too?" He gaped incredulously.

"Well, technically it's my mom's, but yeah." Ryan said nonchalantly, teasing the other boy.

"Remind me to never offer to pick you up." Chad muttered to himself.

"Why not?" Ryan asked, genuinely amused. Chad flushed.

"Nothing, it's just, all I have is this '93 rust bucket Ford that doesn't even run half the time." He mumbled.

"It's not a 'rust bucket', it's vintage." Ryan argued, playing at haughty. Chad barked out a laugh.

"Yeah, whatever you say." Ryan figured it was time for a subject change.

"I love the hat by the way, where ever did you get it?" He teased.

"Oh, well a friend of mine gave it to me; nice, cute guy by the name of Ryan." Oops, he hadn't meant to say that cute bit aloud. But Ryan only laughed.

"Cute. Huh? Looks like I've got competition." Chad blushed twice as hard. It was the closest either of them had come to admitting this was more than a friendly outing. They passed the rest of the ride with teasing, comfortable small talk. Chad blushed more that car ride than he had in the last five years combined. Something about Ryan just kept him at peak embarrassment, and Ryan's casual ease with the situation didn't make things easier. If only Chad knew, Ryan wasn't an actor for nothing. When they got up to the ticket counter Ryan started to pull out his wallet, but Chad stopped him.

"I've got it. You can pay for the snacks." Ryan smiled and the cashier visibly grimaced.

"Fags." He muttered under his breath as they started to walk away. Both boys pretended not to hear but Ryan's smile drooped just a touch and Chad's jaw noticeably tightened.

"What kind of snack do you want?" Ryan asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Just a large coke."

"Really? Well if I get popcorn will you eat it or should I just get enough for me?"

"No, I'll eat some." Chad answered, trying to make himself forget about what the ticket seller said. They got their snacks and finally entered the theater.

"I love sitting in the very back." Ryan whispered as the entered. "It's the best vantage point." Chad stored this piece of trivia right along with everything else he was learning about Ryan, such as the fact that he loved extra butter on his popcorn, though how he could eat so much and still stay thin as a rake still puzzled Chad, and how he always got a mixed Icee when he saw movies.

Together they say and watched the movie in silence broken only by frequent laughter. Ryan was right, hardly anyone came to the early showing. Chad had a bit of difficulty paying attention to the movie. His hand kept accidentally brushing Ryan's as they reached for popcorn at the same time. Each bit of feathery contact sent waves of warmth straight to Chad's core. Every time Ryan laughed Chad would close his eyes and drown in it. All too soon the movie ended and Chad feared their time together was coming to a close.

"So," Ryan started. "Are you hungry or do you need to head home?" He found himself nervous, afraid Chad wouldn't have found his company to his liking and would want to go home already.

"No, I don't have to go home. And now that you mention it, I'm starving." Ryan smiled widely.

"Good. I was thinking we could go back to the resort, get lunch and maybe go swimming?" He suggested.

Chad couldn't help but picture Ryan in nothing more than a pair of swimming trunks, standing there grinning at him while dripping from head to toe. It was all he could do to suppress a moan. "Well, I don't have any swim trunks with me, but maybe you could show me some dance moves for the talent show." He'd learned while watching Ryan help Troy that seeing Ryan dance was mesmerizing, enticing.

"Yeah, definitely." Ryan was pleased. He hadn't wanted to suggest something with just the two of them lest he scare Chad off. They walked in companionable silence back to the car and headed off to the resort.

* * *

"I just have one question." Chad said over the table at lunch. They'd returned to the resort to eat and work in the dance room there on the talent show. Ryan had even asked the serving boys to put a table in the dance room so they could enjoy their lunch and get right on to the talent show without other guests or friends disturbing them. As soon as their lunch had been served Ryan asked the waiters not to disturb them again until he called for them.

"And what's that?" Ryan put down his fork and leaned in slightly, supporting his chin in his left hand.

"Why did you, ya know, want me to call you?" Chad sounded like this tidbit really puzzled him.

"Well that depends." Ryan said playfully.

"On what?" Now Chad was really confused.

"On why you called me." Chad chuckled and dipped his head. Should he confess, admit that he called because of the crush he'd developed almost seven months ago? Instead, he played the little game they'd been playing all morning.

"Well, Troy and Taylor are both working this weekend, and I wanted _someone_ to hang out with." This time Ryan blushed lightly, though Chad couldn't figure out why.

They finished their lunch and moved the table to one corner of the room.

"First, lets see how light you are on your feet. Do you know how to do a 2-step?" Ryan asked after they'd stretched.

"Um, yeah, I learned at my cousin's wedding." Chad replied. Warmth trickled into his stomach as he remembered how close he'd have to hold his partner for such a dance. It seemed the fates were listening to his wished today as Ryan held his arms out and said,

"Show me." Chad stepped forward and took the smaller boy into his arms. Ryan pushed a button on a remote Chad hadn't noticed and music started playing. The two danced a quick 2-step, Chad only stepping on Ryan's toes twice. By the end of the song both were breathing just slightly quicker and while their motions stilled neither dropped their arms. Blue eyes met brown, and held.

"Want to know why I really wanted to you call?" Ryan asked softly. Chad could only nod, not trusting his voice. Instead of answering Ryan lifted up a little and pressed his lips lightly against the taller boy's. Chad tensed and Ryan was about to pull away when Chad wrapped his arms securely around the blonde's waist and softened into the kiss.

"My turn to ask a question." Ryan said quietly as he pulled away.

"Ask away." Chad replied, not releasing his hold. Ryan didn't reply right away, just bit his lip and bowed his head. Chad put one of his hands under Ryan's chin and tilted his face up. "What is it?" He asked gently.

"Would you… I mean, can we… Will you go out with me?" Ryan stammered.

"Like, be your boyfriend?" Chad clarified, joy lighting his face.

"Only if you want to, I mean we don't have to if you don't want your friends finding out and-" Chad cut off Ryan's rambling by pressing his lips against Ryan's – against his boyfriend's. He liked the way that sounded in his head. Tightening his hold he slipped his tongue out to lick his boyfriend's lips, pleased when Ryan gasped and let the wandering tongue probe deeper into the warm cavern. When the need for air became too much both boys broke away gasping for air. Ryan smiled.

"If I take that as a no, will you kiss me like that again?" He asked eagerly.

"No." Chad said with a grin. "But if you ask me nicely I might."

"Chad, will you pretty, pretty please kiss me senseless?" Ryan asked sweetly.

"Well, since you asked so nicely." And then proceeded to do just that.

Two hours later two kitchen workers entered to retrieve the table only to find Ryan and Chad sitting breathless and sweaty against the wall. After a nice half hour of sweet-- and not-so-sweet-- kisses, the two had gone back to work on the talent show material. New couple or not the talent show wasn't going to plan itself. Now they sat resting against the mirrored wall.

"Good practice." Ryan said, turning his head towards Chad.

"Yeah, I never realized how much hard work dancing really is. You're good." Chad's voice was laced with newfound respect. He pulled out his cell to glance at the time and bolted upright.

"What's wrong?" Ryan asked, alarmed at the sudden change in Chad's mood.

"My sisters have a ballet recital today at 3:30." He said, showing Ryan his cell phone. The illuminated screen clearly showed 2:45.

"You have plenty of time, want me to just take you right over there?" He asked trying to relax his boyfriend.

"Would you mind? I'm always there early to give them good luck kisses before performances start, they'll be devastated if I'm late." Chad explained in a hurry. Ryan thought it was adorable how wrapped around his sisters' twin pinkies he was. They'd cropped up previously in the small talk the two share but Ryan didn't know much more than their names, Tanya and Jessie, and that they were 5 year old twins. And they danced.

"Not at all, I'd love to meet your family." Ryan said, standing. "If you don't mind me staying to watch that is."

"Of course not, you're more than welcome to stay." Ryan beamed.

"Great! Now, where is the performance held?" And with that the two rushed out of the resort.

* * *

"I think I'm gonna drive home with Ryan, you four go ahead." They'd made it to the dance studio in time and Tanya and Jessie had shined on stage. Now they were planning on heading home.

"Well why don't you join us for dinner, Ryan?" Melissa offered.

"Oh, I don't want to intrude." He said politely.

"No, I insist." She looked to her son for support.

"Come on Ryan, let my mom treat you to her splendid home cooking." Chad said. Ryan smiled and agreed.

"Alright, we'll meet you two back at home, don't dilly-dally." His mom said, and they all left.

Dinner that night was a comfortable affair. Most of the attention was monopolized by his sisters recounting their recital. When it was over Ryan and Chad offered to do dishes.

"Your mom is a great cook." Ryan said as they stood side-by-side at the sink.

"Told ya." Chad replied smugly.

"I don't think your dad likes me though." He said quietly.

"Oh don't mind him." Chad said, embarrassed by his dad. "He thinks men should do manly things, and dancing isn't manly." They fell silent as they contemplated this complication to their relationship.

"Thank you for supper Mrs. Danforth. It was nice meeting you all. Good job dancing girls." Ryan said after they finished dishes and Ryan was preparing to go home. Said girls ran over to give their new friend hugs good-bye. Tanya grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room so no one else could hear her.

"I think Chaddy likes you." She said in an exaggerated whisper.

"Good, cuz I like him too." He whispered back with a wink, causing her to giggle and cover her mouth. He straightened as Chad came out.

"Alright brat, what did you say?" He asked playfully.

"Nope." Ryan replied first. "That's between me and her." Chad mock glared and sent the little girl back into the living room with everyone else. "Come on, I'll walk you out." He addressed his boyfriend.

Ryan stopped in front of his car door without opening it. Instead he leaned back against the car and looked into Chad's face.

"What is it?" Chad asked after a moment's silence.

"I have a confession to make."

"What is it?" Chad repeated, cautiously.

"It's my fault Troy and Taylor both had to work this weekend. I… I wanted to make sure you didn't have any other plans." Ryan hung his head with a blush. Chad grinned.

"I'm glad you did." Chad dipped his head and pressed their lips together. "Now go home and I'll call you tomorrow." He said and kissed him one more time.

That night when he was kissing his sisters goodnight Tanya whispered to him, "Mommy said it's ok for boys to love each other, and that's good because Ryan said he likes you too." Chad smiled down at his little sister as he said goodnight. So that's what those two had been whispering about. He walked into his own room, pulling out his cell phone to text Ryan.

"I like you, too."

**AN: Ok so please let me know how you like it. Anon reviews welcomed. The third chappy is ready and waiting so review or I'll just decide you don't deserve it!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"This is something I could get used to." Chad remarked, contentedly. They'd passed the day with another movie, more dance practice, and a generous smattering of kisses scattered throughout. Chad had convinced his parents to let him spend the night with Ryan since that was where he would be all day the next day for work anyway. So now they lay in the bed of Chad's truck on a mattress Ryan had "borrowed" from the storage area in the basement of the resort. The summer night was warm enough that they didn't need any blankets, leaving them quite comfortable with Ryan tucked in against Chad's side.

Thoroughly comfortable, Ryan had just started to drift off when his boyfriend spoke. Too sleepy to form a coherent sentence, Ryan just "hmm"-ed his agreement.

"Ry?" Chad questioned quietly. He smiled when he noticed the blonde had fallen asleep on his chest. "Good night." He whispered and joined his boyfriend in slumber.

* * *

The next morning Chad woke up with the sun in his eyes. Slowly, he started to recall the night before. He smiled blissfully as he became aware of the warm body still pressed into his side. He wrapped his arm, which had miraculously stayed around Ryan the whole night, just a little tighter. He would be content to spend the rest of the day, or at least the morning, just like that. However, his movement woke his lightly sleeping love, who opened his eyes with a sigh.

"G'morning." Ryan said with a smile, and tilted his head up for a kiss.

"Morning." Chad replied when they pulled away, voice hoarse from sleep still.

"Mmm, what time is it?" Ryan asked groggily.

"No idea." Chad shifted to reach his phone. "Oh shit!" He exclaimed, bolting upright. Ryan jolted at the outburst.

"Chad? What's the matter?"

"My shift started an hour ago'" Chad was already trying to find his keys.

"Relax, I'll excuse you." Ryan lay back with a smug smile. "The perks of dating the owner's son."

"No!" Chad looked alarmed. "Look, I really like you, and yes, I do want you to be my boyfriend," Chad couldn't suppress the small smile as he said the word. "But, the guys… they don't know that I… that I'm…" Chad swallowed and Ryan smiled, amused and sympathetic.

"That you're dating a boy? That you've got a queer streak painted rainbow? That you're so far in the closet you found Narnia?" Ryan teased.

"Yes, ok? All of the above." Chad's smile, prompted by Ryan's taunts, faded as he continued. "Look, it's not like I'm ashamed of us, because I'm absolutely not, I just…" He couldn't do it, couldn't say aloud the one thing that had really kept him from asking Ryan out, the one thing he was more afraid of than Ry rejecting him.

"You just don't want them to hate you?" Ryan offered quietly, not looking at Chad anymore. "Don't want your best friend, whom you've shared everything with to shun you?"

"Ryan?" Chad asked, bewildered by the utter defeat he heard in the blonde's voice. "Ry, what's wrong?" He put his hands on Ryan's shoulders.

"Nothing." He said, looking up with an obviously forced smile. "It's ok. I get it. We don't have to leave Narnia just yet. But I'm still going to excuse you. If anyone asks we were working on the talent show."

"Ok." Chad leaned forward to press a kiss to Ryan's mouth. "What am I going to do without your kisses all day?" Ryan smiled, he knew just the solution.

"Come on, lets go before your friends send out a search party." Chad chuckled; he could see Troy doing just that.

* * *

"Mr. Fulton, it's my fault Chad's late to work. We were putting together a routine for the talent show and I didn't pay attention to the time." Ryan was speaking to Chad's boss as Chad got changed into his work uniform. Fulton looked at Ryan, disbelieving. Ryan had to fight to suppress his blush under the scrutiny. Finally he marked it down on his chart and Ryan sighed under his breath. "That being taken care of I was looking forward to a round of golf today and would like to request Chad as my caddy." Fulton's eyebrows went up slightly.

"Of course, Mr. Evans." Ryan smiled and started to turn away. "Oh, and Mr. Evans?" He added. "Your father has been meaning to ask you to try out the Jason course. It's still undergoing some remodeling so no one else will be playing there today." This time Ryan failed to hide his blush.

In the kitchen; "Mr. Danforth, young Mr. Evans has requested you for a golf caddy. You'll be going to one of the far courses so he's waiting out front with a cart, I suggest you don't keep him waiting." He sounded like his usual, all business, always annoyed self, but Chad caught a faint glimmer in Mr. Fulton's eyes that told him he knew all about his dirty little secret.

Chad shrugged off Troy's questioning gaze and hurried out of the kitchens. Chad hadn't said a word to Troy and knew his friend must feel hurt but he was so afraid he'd slip and tell Troy. The anger and disgust he could imagine on Troy's face when he found out made him shudder and clam up. His mood lightened however, when he saw Ryan waiting. Resisting the urge to lay a big wet one on his boyfriend right there in the open, he climbed into the passenger seat of the cart.

"So, where are we headed? Mr. Fulton said it was a far course." Ryan didn't answer for a couple of minutes, just focusing on driving the cart away from the main area of the resort. Once they were in the nearly deserted area of the first golf course Ryan lay his hand on the seat between them. Chad smiled and took his hand. Even if there had been anyone around to see, the position of their hands was hidden from all but the most astute observer. Finally, Ryan answered the question.

"There's a second course that my dad is currently having some work done on. Mr. Fulton was kind enough to inform me that it is currently closed to the public. Ryan turned to look at Chad, a conspiratory grin on his face. "But I'm not the public." Chad grinned in response, realizing this was just a cover for the two of them to be alone together. Chad glanced around, making sure the golf course really was empty. With no one else in sight, Chad leaned over to whisper in Ryan's ear.

"How long is your golf game, Mr. Evans?" He asked breathlessly, lightly nibbling on Ryan's earlobe. Ryan moaned. For Chad to be so bold in public was unbelievably sexy, and he couldn't wait until they were ready to take their relationship public. When Chad moved away and he could finally speak again, he answered.

"Oh, I think we can plan on a good four or five hours. There's a lot of construction to deal with down here." Ryan said with a coy smile.

Five minutes later Chad was getting out of the cart to open the gate in the construction fence for Ryan to drive through. Ryan stopped the golf cart and removed the key.

"Um, what are you doing?" Chad asked, bemused.

"Do you trust me?" Ryan kept a playful smile on but his eyes showed his anxiety. Chad knew this answer meant more to Ryan than he was letting on, but he wanted to give him an honest answer. He looked back on the last eight months when he couldn't keep his eyes off the blonde. He looked at the baseball game when he felt his heart flutter every time their eyes met. And then he looked at last night. He felt Ryan in his arms again, felt his chest rise and fall with breath, heard him as they talked of nothing and everything. He remembered waking up this morning. He'd never done that before, never actually slept next to someone, and woken up with them in his arms.

"Yes. I do trust you." Chad responded, completely serious. Ryan's eyes started to glisten and he turned away.

"Then follow me, where I'm taking you isn't reachable in the cart but trust me," here he looked back at Chad, bliss etched on every feature of his face. "It is well worth the walk." Chad stood frozen for just a moment before his brain caught up and he jogged up next to his boyfriend. Slipping his hand into Ryan's he leaned toward him without breaking stride and placed a kiss on the tender spot behind Ryan's ear.

"Come on Ry, where are we going?"

"Not telling. Don't worry!" He added emphatically. "You'll love it." Chad stayed silent. They were headed for a copse of trees. As they passed into the shade of the first few Chad sighed. He'd always loved woody areas. A good twenty minutes later Chad broke again.

"How big is this patch of trees?" He asked, astounded. He had been expecting just a small, ball trap sized area one would see on many other golf resorts.

"Oh, it's no patch. This area is almost large enough to be legally defined a forest." Ryan said with a hint of pride. "Shar and I used to help the landscapers when we were little. This was _our_ woods."

"Was?" Chad asked softly.

"You know, she didn't used to be all about the glitz and glamour. Once, way back in elementary school, she was really a sweet kid. We did everything together, for the fun of it. Now, though," he said with a bitter sigh. "Now she treats me like some well-groomed pet. I don't think she even remembers this place."

Chad thought about that. He'd always wondered why his gentle hearted boyfriend followed his sister around without complaint. Back before he knew the little blonde he'd thought what everyone else did, that he was a spineless poof too afraid of his sister to say anything, not that most people blamed him. But could it be, just maybe, because he was trying to capture a small piece of that former bond? It made absolute sense. Then he looked at the smaller boy standing next to him and saw something else. Ryan was hurting. At school he put up with Sharpe good naturedly, even playfully, but eight months of watching Ryan had taught him one thing; when Ryan Evans was happy, everyone knew it—his boisterous attitude and bright smile was like an epidemic rapidly spreading to anyone within 30 feet—but when Ryan was sad, or angry, or hurt, it was nearly impossible to tell. He hid behind an actor's mask, only his eyes giving away traces of something being wrong, and only if you knew what to carefully look for. Chad saw it now.

He halted dead in his tracks, hand still entwined with Ryan's, causing him to halt the other boy as well. Pulling Ryan around to face him, he stared into his eyes, nearly collapsing under the hidden pain he uncovered, and spoke softly.

"Ry let me tell you something. I've been watching you for a long time now and I have some news for you. You don't have to keep it together 100% of the time. Never once have I seen so much as one hair out of place, well guess what?" He reached up and deliberately mussed Ryan's hair. "You don't always have to be perfect."

Ryan smiled and stepped into Chad's arms. Tears spilled out in a light flow, dampening Chad's shirt slightly.

"Thank you." Was all he said before they turned and continued on their trek. A sense of rightness that can only be found after a big emotional outburst settling over them. They walked in silence for another ten minutes before Ryan stopped and turned to face Chad.

"Can you keep your eyes shut, or do I need to blindfold you?" Chad blinked, more than a little surprised at the question.

"I think you'd better blindfold me." He answered truthfully. "I don't want to accidentally open my eyes if I stumble." Ryan smiled, pleased with Chad's honesty. Without a word he untied the bandana he'd placed around his neck. Looking Chad in the eyes he leaned up and kissed him gently before tying the blindfold around Chad's eyes.

"How's that?" He asked when he finished.

"A bit disconcerting." He replied with a nervous chuckle. "But I can't see a thing. Smells nice though." He babbled on, then blushed when he realized he'd spoken out loud.

Ryan chuckled, glad Chad couldn't see him blush in response. "Don't worry, Love, I won't let you trip." Chad blushed deeper at the nickname.

Taking Chad's hand in his he kept talking, hoping to quell his nerves and let Chad know if there was anything he could trip over. A few moments later, Ryan stopped talking.

"We're here." He whispered after a moment's silence. He didn't, however, move to take the blindfold off. Instead, his grip tightened on Chad's hand. Nerves almost overwhelming, Ryan trembled.

"Ry, are you ok?" Chad asked, feeling the shakes wracking his boyfriend's frame. He, too, hadn't made to remove the blindfold.

"Yeah." Ryan tried to force calm into his voice but didn't quite succeed. Before he could change his mind he pulled the blindfold off. The first thing to meet Chad's eyes was Ryan's ocean blues, swimming in doubt. He looked up past his boyfriend, to try to see what had Ry so worried.

They stood in a clearing that was perfectly circular. On the far side, almost behind the first line of trees, stood a cottage. Not one of those quaint guest houses where many people put their barely-tolerated in-laws, but an honest-to-fairy tale cottage. The stones looked like they could use a new coat of paint and the window box housed nothing but dry sand. A young tree out front, though alive, looked in need of a healthy helping of fertilizer and water. Looking closer Chad noticed more severe signs of neglect. One window was almost completely covered in cobwebs, and the door was starting to split from the bottom up.

Ryan stood watching Chad inspect the cottage with apprehension. He hadn't been here in a couple of years so he had no idea how far downhill the cottage had fallen. "It - it needs a little work." Ryan stuttered, abashed. Chad looked over at him and smiled.

"I love it!" He exclaimed, and turned to wrap his arms around the blonde. "We can fix it up together. Let's go inside."

Ryan's eyes lit up. "Really? You don't think I'm a total dork for liking this place better than the mansion my parents call a house?"

"Of course you're a dork." Chad said playfully, and then continued before Ryan could get that heartbreaking sadness in his eyes. "But I think it's cute, and you're MY dork." He leaned down and kissed Ryan, quickly deepening the kiss until they were both left panting. "Come on, let's go inside."


	5. Chapter 4

**AN: I am SOOOOO sorry this chapter is late. I had it written but my beta and I were having problems sending docs so this chapter is unbeta'd and I apologize for any mistakes. Also life kept getting in the way (as in I was busy hiking and forgot my chappy was due) So please forgive me and if all works out I'll have chapter 5 ready to post early. No promises though. So here you go and please enjoy!! As always anon reviews are welcome.  
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* * *

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**Chapter 4**

"Well it definitely needs some work." Chad said. "New paint, new furniture, a bed." He turned to Ryan and waggled his eyebrows causing the boy to go scarlet. "It'll be our little hideout." He said. They'd been inside for a good hour, a large portion of it spent in the bedroom belonging to Ryan with him pressed up against the wall as Chad devoured his neck. They'd both come away sweaty and unsatisfied but grinning wildly. Neither one mentioned the raging hard-ons they both sported, just as neither had moved to offer release, too hesitant and reluctant to move too fast and end up scaring the other off. After their heated tryst they began to make plans to fix the place up.

"We can wash the place up, then bring the mattress in from your truck until we get a proper bed. We can transform Shar's room into a dance studio to practice." Ryan couldn't contain his joy. Now that he knew Chad liked the cottage he couldn't wait to make it theirs. His thoughts scared him. This had always been half home, half secret getaway for him, and there had never been anyone he'd rather share it with. Chad grinned, finding his boyfriend's glee contagious.

"You should get some fertilizer for that tree out front." He suggested. "And something needs to go into the window box. Do you want to whitewash the stones? Or we could strip them and leave them natural."

"Wouldn't stripping them make them wear down faster?" Ryan asked.

"Yes, if we didn't seal them with a clear coat similar to whitewash… only not white." Chad clarified. "Personally, I like the idea of whitewashing it, and if you decide you don't like it we can strip it later." He offered.

"Whitewash it is then."

"Is there, by any chance, a road we could bring my truck up closer so we wouldn't have to haul everything so far?"

Ryan thought. "The only thing I can think of is the tracks the construction guys are using, but that'll only last a couple more months."

"Then I guess we'd better get started." Chad grinned. Ryan couldn't help but to respond likewise.

"We don't really have anything to work with though."

"Well, we can remove most of the old furniture. I only work until four today so after that we can bring my truck up and start hauling it away." Chad suggested.

For the next hour and a half they removed the old furniture from the twin's room, the dining set, and the couches and chairs from the main room. Most personal items had been removed several years prior but Chad did find a picture, folded in half and tucked under Ryan's mattress. In it, a young, pale blonde Ryan looked to be in 5th or 6th grade. Beside him was a black haired boy, larger but no older by the looks of him. Chad folded the picture and placed it in his pocket, intending to give it to Ryan. Hefting the mattress from Ryan's bed he dragged it out of the cottage.

At quarter after one they finished and collapsed side-by-side on the grass in the middle of the clearing. After a quick doze they returned to the cottage and started really planning out improvements and additions. They arrived back at the main building of the resort just as a large grandfather clock in the main entryway chimed four.

"Just let me clock out and change and we can drive back up." Chad said to Ry and headed out to the kitchens. As he was changing Chad found the picture he'd forgotten about and looked at it, pondering. Was in an ex-boyfriend? An old friend? A relative? As he was lost in his contemplations a hand pulled him out of his reverie.

"Dude, we need to talk." Troy pulled him around to face him. "What is going on?" Chad feigned innocence. "You show up late to work, after working with Evans all morning, then he asks for you to be his caddy and you don't get back til your shift is over. At first you didn't even want to do the talent show so what's up? You've been ignoring me all weekend, well now I want answers."

"I haven't been ignoring you all weekend, you've been working. Ryan is a friend, and a good guy. You seemed to know that when he was helping you with the musical last year. What happened to that?" Chad shot back. "You can decide to enjoy singing but I can't like dancing?" He challenged. Troy looked skeptical but dropped it as Zeke came in to remind them it was time to clock out.

"Whatever. Do you wanna catch a movie or something?" Troy said, trying to make up for his suspicion. Chad flushed.

"Can't. I'm helping Ry move some stuff."

"Ry?" Troy scoffed. "Well have fun with your new boyfriend."

Chad was hurt as he clocked out and confused about why Troy was being so venomous. He was certain Troy didn't really know, and was just trying to insult him. All thoughts of Troy vanished, however, when he saw a certain petite blonde leaning against his truck. Without a thought he rushed over and hugged his boyfriend. Together they drove around to the back of the resort where they came upon the tracks construction workers had left, and followed them to the edge of the trees closest to the cottage. Coming in from this angle it took them under 10 minutes to arrive. They worked tirelessly hauling mattresses and bed frames. They'd removed the dressers from Sharpe's room (she had 5!) to give back to her to do with what she would. The kitchen set they loaded up to be resanded and stained. The rest of the furniture they'd decided to donate to Goodwill. It took them just shy of two hours to load up the truck as the footing through the trees was rather treacherous in some spots and some of the items they carried were fairly heavy.

By the time they finished the shadows were lengthening and the boys stomachs were protesting a lack of food. Chad called home at Ryan's prompting telling his parents he'd be home a little later as Ryan had invited him to dinner. They drove back to Ryan's place but agreed to leave everything in Chad's truck until the next day. They proceeded into the mansion called a house and Chad could hardly stop gawking the entire time, causing his boyfriend no small amount of amusement.

"Just 'cause you see this place every day, Mr. MoneyBags, doesn't mean us common folk aren't impressed by it." Chad defended. Ryan stepped closer and whispered in his ear.

"You, my incredible friend, are far from common." A nip to the earlobe caused Chad to jump and Ryan to laugh. "So, what would you like for dinner?"

The two ate that evening in the kitchen at a small table with four chairs. Ryan looked a little odd until he explained that he rarely ever ate in the kitchen since meals with his parents (who were very big on family meals) were served in the rather grandiose dining room. By the time the boys had arrived Shar was kind enough to inform them she and the parental units had already eaten and leftover spaghetti was sitting in the fridge if they wanted it. So there they sat, in relative privacy, devouring Mrs. Evan's scrumptious homemade spaghetti in near silence. When they finished Ryan walked Chad back out to his truck, reluctant to end what had been a spectacular day.

"I'll talk to my parents." Ryan said. "Not about us," he hurried to add before Chad could protest. "I'll tell them I'm trying to fix up the cottage but can't do it alone and would it be possible for your duties to be reassigned to helping me. I won't mention us until you're ready, but everything would be so much easier if we didn't have to wait for you to get off work. And just imagine all the alone time." He finished with a coy smile.

Chad grinned and wrapped his hands around Ryan's waist, drawing him closer. "Well, then I guess I can't complain, can I?" He bent his head and captured his boyfriend's lips in a searing kiss. "Bye Love, I'll see you tomorrow."

The two parted ways, Ryan sighing in contentment, Chad worried about Troy's reaction to his relationship but somehow unable to care too much with the soft tingle Ryan's mouth left lingering on his lips.

* * *

The next day, Chad arrived to work on time only to be told by Fulton that his duties had been reassigned. He would be helping the young Mr. Evans with a project and his kitchen duties were suspended until further notice.

"Here is the key to your golf cart. You will pick up Mr. Evans at the pool and he'll explain in more detail what he needs help with. Understand?" Chad couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"Will do Mr. Fulton." Chad headed out to pick up the golf cart but was intercepted by Troy.

"Heard Fulton reassigning your duties. What's the project he was talking about?"

For some reason even he didn't fully understand, considering he'd told Troy everything since they were in elementary school, Chad wanted to keep the cottage just between Ryan and himself. Hoping Troy couldn't see through his lie Chad responded. "Well, to find that out I'll have to ask Ryan, won't I?" Chad held Troy's gaze, daring him to call his bluff. Troy visibly deflated and looked away.

"Whatever, man. I'll talk to you later." Chad didn't respond as he watched his best friend walk away. He realized he'd been shunning Troy lately, partly because he'd been spending so much time with Ryan, and partly because he was afraid Troy would see right through him and find out he was a big, flaming queercake. He could only imagine the disgust on his face when he found out, a look eerily similar to one his dad so often wore. Shaking his head to clear the image, he continued on to the golf carts.

* * *

Later on that day Chad and Ryan were walking through the cottage, making sure nothing else needed to be removed and making plans for what new stuff to buy. Ryan was watching Chad through worried eyes.

"Chad, are you even listening to me?" Ryan asked when he didn't get an answer on what color curtains they should get for the kitchen and living room.

'Sorry, Ry, guess I'm just a little distracted today." He wrapped his arms around Ryan's waist in apology. "What was the question?"

Ryan huffed. "Why don't we take a break?" He asked instead. Chad nodded, glad to be distracted. All morning he'd been thinking through different scenarios involving Troy's discovery of Chad and Ryan's relationship. He'd tried to hope that Troy would understand, but he kept hearing whispers of "fag" and seeing the way Troy would hassle boys in the locker rooms if their gazes even slightly strayed.

"Love, what's wrong?" Ryan broke Chad out of his reverie a second time. Chad sighed.

"Troy confronted me this morning about why my duties had been changed. I said I didn't know what the project was going to be and he accused me of lying. Says I've been avoiding him for a while now."

"Well, have you?" Another sigh.

"Yes. I'm just so afraid to spend too much time with him. What if something slips or he sees right through me?" Now it was Ryan's turn to sigh.

"I know what you're going through. In 8th grade I finally came out to my best friend. We'd known each other since preschool; I didn't think anything could tear us apart." Ryan's eyes were downcast and he was twisting his fingers. His voice sounded like he was barely to force the words out.

"Ry, you don't have to tell me." Chad said softly, wrapping his arms around Ryan's shoulders.

"No, it's ok, I want to." Ry responded, though he sounded on the verge of tears. "Tyler accused me of trying to rape him and spread it all around school. After school one day some of the jocks cornered me and tried to… do stuff to me. Tyler saved me. I thought he'd gotten over it but he said he was going to be joining the football team and didn't want his teammates to be as disgusting as me." Ryan was trembling, but still refused to let any tears escape. "So I moved on to high school. No one from my middle school goes to East High. I could completely re-invent myself, actually be myself. Now everyone knows, what you see is what you get." Ryan's voice was stronger now, a note of determination giving it an edge Chad had never heard before.

"Well I'm glad you are who you are." He said, resting his head against Ryan's. "And I'm glad I've got you." Ryan blushed and a smile tugged on the corners of his mouth.

"So I know what you're feeling." Ryan finished sympathetically. "I've felt what you're feeling. But at least you know no matter how Troy reacts, you won't be alone. And hey, if he doesn't take it well and you need somewhere he can't find you this cottage is open to you. I know it became my safe have, a place away from memories and bigots. Now, how 'bout them windows."

Chad chuckled at Ryan's attempt to dissipate the tension and they distracted themselves with interior decorating plans. The cottage was small, but roomy. The kitchenette had a sink and stove and enough room for a small dining set. The only counter space was against the wall on either side of the sink. Above said sink was a window that showed a two-fold view. To the right one could see the spacious clearing, while the left-hand side pierced the trees. A one-eighty from the sink would leave a person staring at a carpeted living space large enough for a couple couches and an area rug lain in front of a large fireplace. The carpet was soft but rather dingy and the boys decided to have it replaced.

The wall across from the entrance sported three doorways. One unmistakably lead to Sharpe's room; it had a Hollywood star's name plaque and was painted a pastel pink. The door opened onto a room just as obviously Sharpe. The walls were the same shade as the door, but the ceiling and carpet were a creamy ivory that had matched the curtains before they'd been removed. The now missing furniture had left behind signs of its existence as the carpet still showed signs of wear around large, almost new spots where her bed, previously done up in white accented with pink, and dressers, ranging from such a light pink as to be almost white to a shade of hot pink that had hurt to look at, had been placed. The only spot of color in the room that wasn't pink was a large, stenciled SHARPE in neon orange on the wall adjacent the door. A large mirror that stretched the full height of the wall stood opposite it, presumably so that when Shar stood in front of it she'd see her name practically glowing above her, albeit backwards. A door next to the mirror led to a bathroom with two sinks, a toilet, and a large bath/shower combo. A second door, between the sinks, led back to the living room while a third let to Ryan's room.

Unlike his sister's room, Ry's had looked like a rainbow had exploded, before they'd removed the furniture. Three of the four walls were a lime green; while the fourth and ceiling were a green so dark it was almost black. The carpet was a soft beige, giving the bare room a feeling of being invaded by the forest outside the window. Before they'd cleared the room out however… Ryan's bed had been dressed in sunny yellow sheets and a fire print comforter. His three dressers were different shades of blue and a mirror with a dark wooden frame free stood in one corner. Overall the color scheme had given the room a very sunny-side-of-life feel. Chad remembered his reaction when he'd entered the room.

~.~.~.~

"_The only thing missing is a giant purple gorilla sitting on your bed." He laughed._

"_Why a purple gorilla?" Ryan looked at him incredulously, bemused._

"_Well, purple is the best color ever, and the only one I haven't seen yet." He explained, flushing. "And well, I'm not sure why a gorilla. Maybe it's the trees in the background."_

~.~.~.~

Ryan had just laughed and said he'd keep that in mind. Now the two boys stood just inside the doorway of Ryan's room.

"Ya know, if you're not too attached to sleeping in this room," Chad started, "Shar's room is bigger. We could make that the bedroom and this could be the dance room. You did clear this with her, right?" He asked, slightly worried.

"Of course! She said she has no problem with it and the only time she'll ever be coming down here is to see what we've done with the place. Then she'll leave it to us." Ryan said. "But for her room to be the bedroom the pink has _got _to go!"

"Agreed."

In the end the two boys agreed to decorate the living room and kitchen in navy and cream, the bedroom in purple and green (Chad had blushed when Ryan said since it was to be their room it should represent both of them), and the dance studio in shades of brown to compliment the hardwood floor they were going to install. The bathroom they couldn't agree on and decided to simply leave the walls white and replace the shower curtain and towels in shades of red and orange. Deciding it was better to do their shopping early in the day rather than as late in the afternoon as it was they spent the next two hours wandering the woods and making out curled in the clearing, baking in the sun, until it came time for Chad to clock out. Chad called his parents to ask if he could spend the night at Ryan's so they could start shopping for paint and carpeting early.

When Chad and Ryan got back to Ryan's place they were surprised to find Sharpe was staying the night at the resort and his parents were spending a few days in Mexico.

"Looks like the house is all ours." Ryan said with a gleam in his eyes. "Unless you'd rather spend the night at the resort."

"No, I rather like the idea of being alone for a while."

"Aren't you just the selfish one?" Ry teased. "Wasn't us being alone the whole day enough for you?"

Chad grinned. "Not really. Besides, we were rather distracted during most of the day. Now I've got you all to myself and instead of worrying about the color of draperies I get to wonder about the color of your boxers." Ryan blushed heartily.

"Who says I'm wearing boxers?"


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Wednesday dawned bright and early, as it was wont to do in the middle of summer. Chad opened his eyes to be greeted by the sight of an unfamiliar powder blue ceiling. He looked around and saw he was quite alone in a rather large bed. A pang of disappointment tickled his insides, he hadn't been lying when he told his boyfriend he liked waking up next to him. Just then Ry walked into the room, clad only in a towel, dripping from the shower he'd obviously just stepped out of.

"Ah, you're awake, good."

"Yes, though it would have been so much nicer waking up with you still in the bed." Ryan peeked out of his closet to grace him with a smile before answering.

"As lovely as that would have been, we agreed to an early start this morning and I knew if we woke up together there was no way I'd get you out of bed!" Ryan emerged, dressed for the day and grinning. "Now shower and I'll grab your clothes from the dryer. I had them washed when I woke this morning." Chad stretched his arms above his head and yawned.

"Yep, definitely a life I could get used to." He grinned as Ry tried to smack his head and scrambled toward the bathroom, wearing nothing but his dark blue boxers.

Two hours later found them in Ry's Lambo on their way to a paint store. They spent the rest of the morning leisurely browsing paint, occasionally having good-hearted arguments about which color was better for their cottage. Chad couldn't help but grin every time Ryan called it theirs. They hadn't even been dating for a week and already he felt like they'd been together for a lifetime. It was a scary feeling, but Chad wouldn't change it for the world. After three hours in the paint store they'd chosen the perfect colors for nearly every room. The only color they were having difficulties with was the green. Ryan kept finding something wrong with every shade they came across. "Too lime." He would complain, or "too dark". It nearly drove Chad mad but Ryan was adamant about finding the perfect shade. After inspecting every shade of green in the store they bought their other selections and left, Ryan feeling doleful.

"Tell you what, Ry. Green is for the bedroom, right? So we'll do that room last. We can go paint shopping every morning until you find the right color, and paint the other rooms in the afternoons. That way we're still making progress and you don't have to compromise." Chad suggested. Ryan pouted but relented.

They spent the afternoon taping off windows and covering the cabinets, counters and floors in the kitchen before painting the walls royal blue. The next afternoon they would detail the walls in a soft cream that matched the wood of the cabinets and the gold streaks in the black marble countertops and tiled floor. The living room walls they painted in direct contrast to the kitchen, the main color being cream with royal blue accents. The carpet would be replaced with a new short, navy shag. The mantle above the fire place was already black marble so they decided to replace the furniture with that in mind. It was only three in the afternoon when they finished so Ryan suggested they head back to his house to browse a few websites for furniture they could order and keep at his place until the painting was all finished. They did get back to the house but got distracted from shopping. Chad was sitting behind Ry, looking over his shoulder, but the proximity of his lips to the silky skin of Ry's neck proved too tempting.

"Chad, we're supposed to be working. Remember?" Ry admonished half-heartedly.

"Ry, you deprived me of the pleasure of waking up next to you so we could work." Chad pointed out. "I think you owe me." Ry smiled.

"Then I'd better start making it up to you." He said and turned to capture his boyfriend's lips. Without breaking the embrace Chad stood, pulling the shorter boy with him and deepening the kiss. With a small moan Ry pulled back, putting his hands on Chad's chest to keep him from sweeping back in long enough to suggest they move to somewhere more comfortable.

Moments later Ry was falling backwards onto his bed, pulling the taller boy with him. Chad straddled the blonde and tugged his shirt off. He leaned down and latched onto Ryan's neck, hands going to the hem of his boyfriend's shirt and un-tucking it. He pulled away from the love bite he was giving to pull the shirt over Ryan's head and bent to kiss Ryan soundly, pressing their bare chests together. Ry groaned and arched his back, digging his fingers into the back of Chad's head, fingers curling in the boy's springy afro. Chad grabbed the smaller boy's hips in turn and ground his hips down making them both moan. Desperate for the friction Ryan pressed up and started a rhythm that only lasted a moment or two before he turned his head to the side and took a deep breath to steady himself. Chad paused and looked down at Ryan in concern.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah." Ryan said, still a little out of breath. "I'm sorry. I'm just not ready for this." He said apologetically. Chad rolled to the side but stayed curled up to the blonde.

"It's ok, Ry. If I'd stopped to think about it I don't think I'm really ready either. Stupid teenage hormones." He said sarcastically making Ry chuckle. "We'll go as slow as you like, promise." He leaned in and kissed the tip of Ryan's nose.

"Thanks Chad." He smiled and pressed close to give his boyfriend a slow, leisurely kiss. Chad sighed and rested his forehead against Ry's.

"As amazing as it feels being next to you like this, if I don't leave now I never will."

"Ok by me." Ry cut in, making Chad grin.

"Me too, but I promised the girls I'd be home to tuck them in tonight." He kissed his boyfriend chastely. "Walk me out?"

The next morning Chad picked Ryan up at his estate and they continued their quest for the perfect green. Three hours of hunting proved fruitless and they returned to the cottage empty handed with Ryan quickly losing hope.

"It's only been two days, be patient." Chad comforted. Ryan only nodded bleakly. In silence they applied they decal stencils to the kitchen and living room walls before covering them in paint. Between coats they taped off the sinks and marble countertops in the bathroom so they could refresh the white walls. They finished by one thirty and headed back to Ryan's house to go furniture shopping.

"No distractions this time, Mr. Danforth." Ryan teased as he booted up the computer.

"That's going to be rather difficult with you in the room Mr. Evans." Chad replied, making Ry blush. They spent the next few hours playfully arguing over couches and tables with only one brief distraction that was interrupted by a tall, blonde, and obnoxious Sharpay much to the embarrassment of all three teens.

"Do you mind? I didn't come in here to see my brother macking on one of East High's superstars." Sharpay complained. Ryan only smiled complacently.

"Then what did you come for Dear Sister of Mine?" Chad couldn't suppress his grin at the annoyed look on the girl's face.

"Mom and Dad have invited your 'friend' to stay for supper." Chad's smile dropped at the way she said friend. He'd been so content in his relationship he'd forgotten they hadn't come out to anyone yet. And he'd been so distracted by the look on Sharpay's face he hadn't really realized she'd caught them making out. _Sharpay knew._ His head shot up in fear, trying to assess if she was a threat to their secrecy.

"What do you say Chad?" Ryan asked, looking over at his boyfriend. He frowned as he saw the dark skinned youth looking at his sister as though she'd invited him to his own execution rather than a simple family dinner. "Chad? Sharpey, thanks for letting us know, can we just have a moment please?" Sharpey turned around, hair flying out in a dramatic twirl, and left the room.

"Chad, what's wrong?" Ryan knelt on the floor in front of Chad's chair so he could look into his face.

"Sharpey knows." Chad's voice came out in a whisper. "If she talks it could get back to Troy or Zeke... or my parents. And your parents don't know. Do they?" He finally met Ryan's concerned gaze.

"Yes." He stated simply. "I didn't tell them but my parents aren't idiots. Shar and I have never even told anyone else about the cottage and now I need your help to redecorate it? They kind of put two and two together." Ryan explained. "But don't worry about it, they are fine with it. They like you. And I promise Shar won't tell a soul. She hasn't yet and she's known for a while." Ryan reassured his still nervous boyfriend. "So are you staying?"

Chad nodded. "I'm sorry for freaking out like that. It's just, this is so new to me and I worry how everyone will take it."

"Don't worry, I understand." Ryan smiled. "To be honest I've been kind of surprised how well you're taking it. I keep wondering when you're going to freak out on me." Ryan confessed, ashamed of his doubts. His blush only deepened when Chad laughed.

"I'm not going to freak out on you Ry. I've already done enough freaking." Ry looked up shocked. "When I started… liking you," Chad started to explain. "Well I didn't even really realize it until I woke up in the middle of the night gasping for breath after the most intense orgasm of my life." Chad had a distant look in his eyes as he remembered, but it was quickly replaced by mortification as he realized he'd said that aloud in front of his boyfriend. Ryan just grinned.

"So, dare I ask what caused this mind-blowing eruption?" He asked the dark boy tauntingly.

"You." Chad responded softly, looking down to hide his blush. "I had just woken up from a dream about you. Your silky blonde hair, glittering eyes that danced with something I'd only ever seen when you were soloing on stage without an audience." It was Ryan's turn to blush.

"If you only saw it when I didn't have an audience how did you, as my audience, see it?" He asked, trying to push down the heat in his cheeks.

"I forgot my bag one day after watching you help Troy practice. I came back in but you didn't see me. You were focusing on… something only you could see and didn't hear me. You were so beautiful." Chad whispered. Silence. Then he cleared his throat. "Anyway, all I remember of my dream was laying in the grass next to you, staring at you and your ocean blue eyes. From that day on I did everything I could to see that light in your eyes. Only I wanted to be the cause of it, not some imaginary audience. The closest I ever came was when I found you alone in the bathroom after Sharpey had brushed you off as just a sidekick again." Ryan smiled at the memory of how Chad had sat there with him for the next hour, both of them missing their 5th period while Chad did everything he could think of to make Ryan smile. He gasped when he realized most of the things he'd said that day were sideways compliments.

"By the way, that's probably the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me." Ryan said, thanking his boyfriend for one of the better moments of the past school year.

"Yeah well, I think that's when I finally started accepting my feelings for you. I'd been freaking out for about a week, reading everything I could that would just explain this away as a phase. I'd almost had myself convinced. But after that day I realized that the feelings I had were more than just hormones. I honestly wanted to make you happy, and seeing you smile made it hard to breathe. It wasn't about laying around ravishing you, though that would be a major bonus if you're interested," Chad grinned suggestively. "It was about making you happy at any cost."

"I take it back, that's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me." Ryan gushed, tears welling up and a grin on his face and he practically launched himself at the dark skinned youth. Chad pulled back slightly and looked into the blonde's eyes.

"And there's that look."

**AN: So sorry for the super long wait, and then I don't even give you a decent sized chapter. Life and everything got in the way so I haven't even hardly had time to check my e-mail let alone write (see, this is why I usually do handwritten. It's portable.) But I figured this is the perfect stopping point and I wanted to get it up asap. I don't have a beta any longer as his comp died so any errors are my own and I apologize. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review!! I love you all.**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: OMG I am sooo sorry this took so long. A recent death in the family has kept me completely off the computer and I haven't even had time to free hand the story since I had to move out on my own and deal with life. I still don't have internet, though I can start writing again in what little free time I have and when I finally get a chapter written I can use a friend's computer to post so I promise this story is not dead!! Please bear with me and I really hope you enjoy this newest chapter, even though it is short. Since I haven't had time to thank my reviewers via PM I'm just going to thank all my readers right now! Without you all this story wouldn't even be worth continuing, thank you all so much and I sincerely hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 6**

"Thank you for dinner Mrs. Evans, it was delicious." Chad said as he and Ryan stood up from the table.

"Oh please call me Jenny, now that you're dating my bunny. I'm glad you enjoyed supper, though I can't take credit for dessert, Vance here is quite the baker and that cake is his own special recipe." The Evans matriarch replied with an irresistible smile.

"It was really good." Chad agreed. "Did I detect just a hint of orange behind the almond?" He asked. Vance's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Indeed. You must be a cook yourself to have noticed, I had to point it out to Sharpay, she inherited her mother's spunk but not her domestic abilities." Chad grinned and looked to see Sharpay huff and look away, more embarrassed than insulted.

"My mom doesn't always have time to cook for my sisters' bake sales so I usually get roped into doing it." He explained. "I'm nowhere near as good as Zeke, but I can make a mean snickerdoodle."

"A tricky cookie, takes talent to keep the insides nice and chewy while the outside crisps up." Jenny chimed in.

"Yes well you can trade baking secrets later. Chad, you're going to be late getting home." Ryan piped up.

"Oh, right. Thank you again Mr. and Mrs. Evans." Chad said and allowed his boyfriend to steer him out the front door.

"That really was a good meal, I was kind of nervous that I'd be put under a microscope." Chad confessed as they prepared to say goodbye.

"My parents have a little more tact than that, though not much." Ryan said with a smile. Chad chuckled. "I'll pick you up tomorrow." Ryan started, delaying their separation. "We don't have anything that needs hauling so we don't need your truck. We'll take the Lambo paint shopping then ride a golf cart to the cottage." He spoke fluidly but his eyes were focused on Chad's chest rather than his face.

"Ry, Love, what's wrong? And don't tell me nothing." He interjected as Ryan opened his mouth to protest. "Did I do something wrong?" He was still new to this kind of relationship and his insecurities crept up every now and then.

"Of course not!" Ryan denied quickly. "You have been absolutely wonderful!"

"Then what is it?"

"I was just wondering if you've thought about when you want to come out. It's not that I want to pressure you or anything but I was hoping maybe we could be public before school starts, and I know that's a couple months away yet but I thought I'd bring it up now so you have time to think. It's totally ok if you don't think you'll be ready by then, but I'd love to walk into school with you every day, like a regular couple." Ryan said, words tumbling out of his mouth as though each was trying to win a race.

"Ryan, slow down." Chad instructed, putting his hands on his boyfriend's shoulders. "I understand, I've been thinking about it a lot myself. I'll be honest, I don't know if I'll be ready to come out by the beginning of school. But I can promise to think about it and try to come to terms with coming out."

"Thank you Chad. I'm sorry if I'm pressuring you."

"Don't worry about it, you're not." Chad assured him, then pulled the smaller boy tight against him. "I have to get home, Love." Chad ventured and Ryan pulled away far enough to pull the brunette down for a long, sensuous kiss.

"I know. Drive safe, I'll see you tomorrow." Chad pressed his lips against Ryan's one last time before getting in the truck and driving home.

The next morning was occupied with more—unsuccessful—paint hunting, and the afternoon with painting the dance room. The browns they chose had natural swirls that would compliment the wood that was to be installed the next day as well as keep the walls from becoming bland and monotonous. They forwent the usual furniture shopping as Chad was only scheduled for a half day of work, opting instead for a trip to the local park.

"This is one of my favorite spots in town." Ryan said as he stared out across the pond, arms resting on the edge of the small foot bridge. Despite the contentment in his body language Chad could sense a shading of sadness coloring his voice.

"If that's so why are you sad?" He asked quietly. Ryan smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I used to come here with Tyler all the time." He said. "I'm sorry about last night. You don't have to worry about coming out until you're absolutely ready. I don't want you to go through what I had to deal with."

"I told you I'd already been thinking about it. And I won't have to go through what you did because I'll have you by my side no matter what. Please don't be sad." Chad reached over and clasped Ryan's hand despite the fact that anyone could be watching. Ryan smiled again, a true smile this time that lent a sparkle to his crystal blue eyes. They spent a good hour walking the perimeter of the pond before Chad said he needed to get home, Tanya wanted to learn how to make sugar cookies. Ryan took Chad home and they said their goodbyes.

The next day passed in much the same fashion, painting replaced by two men coming in to tear up the carpeting in the dance room and replacing it with hardwood. The next day Chad had off and regrettably they had to spend it apart so they cherished their last couple hours together cuddled up and making out on Ryan's bed.

"So how was life without me yesterday?" Chad asked when he picked Ryan up from his house after their days spent separately.

"Boring." Ryan replied but the irrepressible glimmer in his eyes betrayed his lie.

"Liar." Chad accused with a mock pout. "You probably didn't even notice I wasn't there."

"Oh I noticed," Ryan assured him. "Or at least my lips noticed the absence of constant kisses." Chad smiled and leaned down to rectify the situation.

"If that's so why are you grinning like a cat that got the canary?"

"Because I found it!"

"Found what?"

"The perfect green!" Ryan exclaimed with a little jump of excitement making Chad laugh. He allowed Ryan to drag him all the way through the trees to the cottage, but was puzzled when Ryan stopped before entering. "Close your eyes." His boyfriend instructed him. Confused but curious Chad did as he was told and Ryan led him through the cottage and stopped him just inside the bedroom door.

"Ok, open them." Chad opened his eyes and gasped in delight as he saw the room that was now really and truly theirs. Three of the walls had been painted royal purple while the ceiling and final wall were a shade of green that rivaled the emerald of the grass outside. The carpet underfoot was black and Chad had the sudden urge to remove his shoes and feel his feet sink into its softness. Along one wall stood two identical dressers, except that one was white and the other black. Dominating most of the room was a huge Queen-sized bed with a black wood frame, white silk sheets and a down comforter. Right in the center of the bed was a huge purple gorilla. Chad laughed as he remembered his comment that first afternoon.

"I know it's not done yet, but you can consider this a kind of house-warming gift." Ryan said with a blush in his voice as well as gracing his cheeks. Chad spun and grabbed Ryan around the waist.

"It's fantastic, I love it. Thank you." He said sincerely before swooping in to devour his boyfriend's waiting mouth.

"Want to see how comfortable the bed is?" Ryan asked with a smirk and a naughty gleam in his eyes.

"Do I ever!" Chad exclaimed and dragged his boyfriend over to it. No work got done that day but Chad didn't mind. They lay in peace on the bed, kissing, cuddling, and talking. At some point both boys had been stripped down to just their boxers before both chickened out and they went no further than that. Chad talked about his fears towards coming out, mainly in the way his father and Troy would react. Ryan got Chad to agree to at least talk to his best friend, something he hadn't done since the two boys got together and though he wasn't prepared to tell Troy, Chad agreed it would only make matters worse to avoid his best friend, leading him to think he was shunning him in favor of Ryan.

"I know we both have tomorrow off, I'll call him and talk to him." Chad agreed. "But no more working on this place without me!" Chad admonished playfully.

"Promise."

Troy grabbed his cell phone and flipped it open, answering it without even checking the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Hey Troy." Chad's voice came over the line.

"Chad." Troy's voice cooled a few degrees.

"Hey, I have today off I was wondering if you wanted to shoot some hoops." Troy could hear the hesitation in his best friend's voice.

"I'm actually waiting for Gaby to call, we were going to catch a movie."

"Oh. Well maybe another time then." Hearing Chad sound so rejected made Troy feel bad. He wasn't even sure why he was mad at his friend. Sure they hadn't seen much of each other over the past week or so, but that's what work does to people and Troy knew Chad had a near full-time schedule.

"Or maybe after the movie." He offered. "Zeke and Caleb were going to come over, Zeke has a new dessert he wants us to try." He said with a laugh. Chad grinned.

"Awesome, let me know when the movie ends and I'll head over." He agreed, and with that the two boys hung up.

Two and a half hours later found Chad, Zeke, Caleb and Troy sitting on Troy's back porch chatting animatedly about Zeke's new cake and how work was going for all of them. Chad was trying to avoid the latter topic until…

"So, what's the project you're helping Evans with Chad?" Zeke asked, blissfully unaware of the awkwardness this brought up between Troy and Chad.

"Oh well I'm helping him remodel his room." He lied, keeping his eyes on his cake. "He is repainting it and getting all new furniture." It was close enough to the truth that it wasn't hard to lie, but he still felt bad for it.

"Yeah I can see how pretty boy would need help with that." Caleb said with a laugh. "His scrawny little arms probably have trouble lifting much of anything." Zeke joined in the laughing.

"Shut up, Caleb." Chad said, suddenly furious. "Ryan is stronger than you, I can say that much for sure."

"Chad, relax he was joking." Troy said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Ryan is it? Does Chad have a crush on the little pretty boy?" Caleb taunted. Chad stood up, fuming, his chair toppling over behind him.

"Screw you, Caleb!" He said and stormed off. Troy caught up with him just as he reached his truck.

"Dude, what's wrong with you? First you shun me for Ryan and now you get pissed when Caleb makes a joke about him?" Troy asked, genuinely confused.

"I haven't been shunning you, I've been working. You know, for money." Chad protested. "And I'm sorry if I actually know how to defend my friends."

"Whatever man." Troy retorted, hurt by the accusation that wasn't. Chad just shook his head sadly and climbed in his truck.

"I'll see you around." He said and drove off.

"It was a disaster Ry." Chad said half an hour later laying across his bed with his phone to his ear. "Caleb… well he said some things that ticked me off and I just stormed out of there. I think they suspect." He whispered.

"I'm so sorry Love. I shouldn't have talked you into it if you weren't ready to deal with what they may have said."

"It's not that, I really thought I was ready but then Caleb accused you of being weak and when I defended you…He said I have a crush on you and I just panicked and over-reacted." He explained quietly.

"You defended me?" Ryan asked and Chad could clearly hear the smile in his voice.

"Of course I did. You are anything but weak."

"Thank you, Chad." Just then Chad heard Sharpay's shrill voice in the background summoning his boyfriend away from the phone.

"You go, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Maybe you can join me in helping the girls with their bake sale." He offered.

"I'd really like that." Ryan agreed. "I'll talk to you later."

"Bye, Love." Chad said and the boys hung up, Chad feeling better for having gotten his anger from this afternoon off his chest. _Better go help Tanya ice those sugar cookies if we plan on selling them. _He thought and headed downstairs.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The next day found Chad, Ryan, Tanya, and Jessie sitting outside the Danforth house behind a homemade booth boasting a hand painted sign that read "Cookies: $0.25". On several plates were dozens of frosted sugar cookies, a small tower of napkins and a jar with a heavy layer of quarters where loyal patrons dropped their pocket change every couple weeks to support the two adorable girls down the street.

"Ooh, another customer!" Jesse exclaimed peering down the street.

"That's not a customer, that's Troy!" Tanya corrected before extracting herself from their small business and running to greet Chad's best friend.

Chad turned a worried expression towards his boyfriend before schooling his face.

"Hey Chad, Ryan." Troy greeted, just a hint of ice in his voice. "Hey Jessie, I don't get a hug?" He asked as he pulled Tanya from her perch on his shoulders. Jessie glanced at her brother but got up and gave Troy a hug. "Chad, can I talk to you?" He asked, eyes skittering over Ryan without looking the other boy in the face. Chad's expression turned worried but he got up and walked a few feet away until the other three entrepreneurs couldn't overhear.

"What's up?" He asked, his voice coming out chillier than he'd intended.

"I came to apologize for Caleb yesterday. He didn't really mean what he said. You know how he gets." Troy begged pardon for his friend.

"Yeah, I know. But Ryan really is a good guy, and you of all people should know that." Chad defended.

"I know. You… didn't tell him what Caleb said did you?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. Unfortunately it didn't faze him, he's too used to jocks assuming he's a scrawny pansy." Chad spat with venom in his voice. Troy had the decency to hang his head.

"So, wanna go catch a movie or something?" Troy asked. "Ryan can come, too." He added but it was clear he wasn't too thrilled about the blonde joining in.

"I'm helping the girls for another couple hours, but after that maybe." He conceded.

"I don't see why you have to sell them." Troy huffed. "If your mom can take the time to bake the cookies why can't she help with the sale?"

"My mom doesn't bake them." Chad exclaimed, fed up with Troy's attitude. "I do."

"What? Then why did you always tell me your mom did?" Troy asked surprised.

"Cuz I see the way you always treat Zeke when he talks about baking, and it's not even a hobby of mine, just something I do for the girls."

"I don't do anything to Zeke for baking." Troy protested.

"Oh you mean other than the girly jokes and the faces behind his back?" Chad asked facetiously.

"Whatever." Troy dismissed ashamedly. "But why didn't you ask me help with the sale, why Evans?"

"Because _Evans _doesn't care that I know how to make sugar cookies." He said heatedly. "Because _Evans_ offered to help. How many times, in the year since I made the girls their stand, have you actually showed interest in helping. I'll tell you; Never. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my sisters." He said, resisting the urge to add _and my boyfriend._ He walked away leaving Troy standing there looking at a loss. As soon as he sat down he felt Ryan reach for his hand and took it desperately, too upset to be glad Troy couldn't see them over the side of the booth.

"Are you ok, Love?" Ryan asked, eyes brimming with worry. Chad managed a small smile.

"Yeah, I'm ok." His smile widened and became more sincere when Tanya clambered onto his lap and nestled her head under his chin. It became a full blown grin when Jessie climbed onto Ryan's lap and held their intertwined hands in both of hers.

"I knew you were mad at Troy." She said sagely. "But it's ok, me, Tanya and Ryan will cheer you up." And with that she reached over and grabbed a cookie that she had frosted with more than a little too much orange frosting and handed it to him with a smile. "You don't have to pay." Chad smiled and took it, offering Tanya a bite first then holding it out to Ryan after he had a nibble. Without taking the cookie Ryan leaned over and bit into it, never breaking eye contact with his boyfriend. Chad swallowed his groan and offered the cookie to Jessie.

Two and a half hours later, all but four of the cookies had been sold and the girls had over ten dollars worth of change more in their jar.

"Chaddy, take us to a movie." Tanya begged after they'd cleaned up the stand and put everything away. "We can pay now." She bargained.

"No, you save that money for your new dance costumes." Chad countered. "I'll pay, just let me go grab my wallet."

"Ryan, are you gonna come too?" Jessie asked, looking up imploringly at the blonde.

"Sure I will. What movie shall we go see?" He said with a smile, swinging the petite girl up to balance on his hip.

"Aliens in the Attic!" The girls chimed simultaneously. A few minutes later Chad came back into the living room and all four were out the door. The movie passed with the boys sitting next to each other, a twin on each of their laps and their hands secretly entwined. That evening when Ryan was leaving, Chad walked him out to his car.

"Thank you for helping with the bake sale, the girls really loved having you there." Chad said as the walked towards the gleaming silver Lamborghini. Ryan shot him a small, sly smile.

"Only the girls?" He teased.

"Of course not. I'm really glad you were there too. I… I kinda love you, Ry." Ryan's smile faded, his expression was a mix of shock and quiet contemplation. After a few breaths that Chad hardly dared to breathe, Ryan's face turned up in the barest hint of a smile.

"I kinda love you, too." Chad gathered his boyfriend up in his arms and held him close for a few moments. He pulled away just a bit to feather his lips across the small pink ones below him. Ryan's smile grew and he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's neck to deepen the kiss. Though it was much too short for the boys they pulled apart and without a word Ryan drove off. Chad walked back into his house, unable to suppress the smile of joy painting his face. He turned into the living room and saw his dad standing there with his arms crossed and a look of fury on his face. Chad barely glanced behind his father to see the curtain to the window facing the front of the house was parted. Fear slithered into his gut as he realized his father had seen him kiss Ryan.

"Dad, I—"

"Don't. Don't talk. I don't know what that faggot has done to brainwash you but it ends now. You will never see that little queer again. NO!" His father shouted as he started to interrupt. "Tomorrow, you will go to the country club and quit. If I ever hear that boy's name in my house again, there will be consequences." Chad looked to the ground, the joy of hearing Ryan confess his love was little more than a vague memory, the tingle of his lips felt foreign and out of place in this situation. He reached up to brush the feeling away but instead his fingers barely traced the edge of his lower lip. A fire exploded in Chad's chest at the memory of waking up next to his wonderful boyfriend. He refused to give that up.

"No, Dad. Ryan didn't brainwash me, and I will not stop seeing him. I love him." Chad said, chin held high in defiance. Fear threatened to pour a pail of ice water on the flame in his heart as he saw his dad stalk towards him, loathing and rage etching his face into the mask of a monster. His dad didn't speak, clearly wrathful beyond words, instead Chad saw his fist raise, felt a distant pain in his left temple and all went black.

**A/N: OMG I know this is short and I'm soooooo sorry!!! Internet is still an issue for me and I'm still struggling now that I'm living on my own for the first time. I just want to thank anyone that's still reading this, including my newest readers who have put me on their watch list (I know who you are, thank you!) I really hope you aren't too disappointed with this chapter. Just to let you all know, now that Papa Danforth knows the sh*t is really gonna hit the fan now. PLEASE review, it really will help me write (that's how I finally got this chappy out, I got a review!) Thank all of you sooo much! 333**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Chad woke up a few hours later with a dull throbbing in his head. It took a few seconds to remember that his dad had hit him, and why, and a few moments more to realize he wasn't on the floor as he expected to be. _Damn, my dad has one hell of an arm._ He thought ruefully to himself as he turned his head to see if anyone was in the room with him. As he moved the pain made itself known with a sharp stab of pain at his left temple. He groaned as the pain made his head swim. Just as the pain was settling itself he heard someone enter the room. Expecting it to be his father he tried to jump up off the couch, only to instantly regret it. His head injury combined with the speed of his ascent made him collapse and miss the couch to end up back on the floor.

"Shhh, Chad, don't try to move sweetie." He heard the sweet, apologetic voice of his mom. She put down the ice pack she was carrying and rushed over to help him back onto the couch. He winced then sighed as she gently settled the ice on his temple. "I'm so sorry about your dad. I really didn't think he'd react this way." She spoke in a whisper.

"Wait, you knew?" Chad was bewildered. How did his mom know? But his mom just chuckled.

"I'm your mother, of course I knew. Besides, the girls like to talk about you two." Chad opened his eyes just enough to see her smiling conspiratorially. Chad just looked steadily at her, stunned that she knew, stunned that she didn't mind. Slowly her smile dropped. "Oh sweetie, I should have told you I knew. I just wanted you to feel comfortable coming to me about it. I'm happy for you, honestly. Ryan is a sweet boy, and he makes you happy, I'd have to be blind not to see that. You rest now, I'll talk to your father about it in the morning. I love you." Chad was suddenly too tired to even whisper I love you back and before his mom was even out of the room he had drifted off, ice still resting on his temple.

Ryan lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling but not really seeing it. In his mind he kept hearing Chad's tentative admission. He hadn't thought it would feel like this. He was elated, butterflies dancing around his stomach, but there was also a tiny seed of sorrow and doubt. He knew he was Chad's first boyfriend and it worried him that maybe the basketball star would decide he couldn't risk coming out of the closet. It was also a bit concerning that they were both so young. He had no illusions that Chad would want to settle down with him, but the intensity of his own emotions scared him. Despite the curl of fear in his stomach he couldn't wipe the silly grin off his face caused by Chad's softly spoken words.

A few hours later found Ryan staring at his phone, face etched with worry. He'd texted Chad half an hour ago and still hadn't gotten a response. They usually talked for a bit before bed, or at least exchanged a couple dozen texts, but his phone was eerily silent. Ryan worried that maybe Chad was regretting what he'd said in the heat of the moment. Ryan resolved not to bother Chad and let him come to terms with it on his own time and trust his boyfriend to talk to him if something was wrong. With those uneasy thoughts swirling around his brain Ryan fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

"That is your son!" Melissa Danforth's voice could be heard in every room of the house. She and her husband had been arguing all morning about Chad's relationship with Ryan. Chad was sitting in his room listening when the twins came shyly through his door, eyes wide in fear.

"Why is daddy so mad at you for loving Ryan?" Tanya asked when they had situated themselves on the bed.

"Dad just doesn't understand. When he was young it was considered bad to love another boy, so he just has to get used to the idea that it's not wrong. It'll all be fine." Chad reassured them, even if he himself wasn't convinced of his own words. Just then his mother walked into the room.

"Chad, the girls need new dance outfits. Would you mind taking them to the boutique? I really need to work on the bills or I would." She said. Chad could tell it was an excuse to get him out of the house, but he was glad for it. He would take his cell phone and see if Ryan wanted to join them, he had to talk to his boyfriend asap.

"Of course. Girls, run to your room and get your jar, I'll be waiting downstairs." He waited until the twins were out of the room then turned towards his mother. "I won't stop seeing him." He defended, before she could even speak. "I don't care what Dad thinks, I love Ryan. He makes me happy." Melissa smiled and started down the stairs.

"Good. Don't worry about your father, he'll come around eventually, you'll see. Until then go pick up Ryan and take the girls shopping for a little while." She pulled out her credit card as she spoke. "Don't spend more than 40 on the outfits, but feel free to treat yourselves to lunch." The girls came barreling down the staircase just as their father came into the main room. Chad quickly snatched up his keys and cell phone and started ushering the girls toward the door. Charles' face flushed and contorted with anger.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" He demanded, advancing on his son with an extreme air of menace.

"Charles, he's taking the girls out shopping." Melissa soothed, stepping in front of her husband. Chad felt a rush of ice run through his veins as he imagined his father taking his hatred out on his mom. He shook it off knowing once he was out of the house his dad would cool down. Besides, he didn't want his sisters seeing their parents fight any more. Chad rushed in getting the twins in the truck and buckling them before running around and starting the engine. He knew if he'd been in a smaller car he would have squealed the tires, as it was the engine revved loud enough to have his neighbor looking out the window. As soon as he was calmed down enough he pulled out his cell phone and speed dialed Ryan.

"Hey stranger, long time no see." He was greeted. His boyfriend's voice was cheery as always but he could hear a note of tension underlaying it. Instantly his own worries went out the window.

"Are you ok? You sound apprehensive." He asked.

"Yeah I'm fine." There was a moment's hesitation before he heard "I was kinda afraid you weren't gonna call today." Came Ryan's admission.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Well... you didn't call or text me to say goodnight." Ryan knew it sounded needy and whiny but he couldn't help it, and he couldn't take it back. Suddenly all his worries came back to Chad in a flood.

"About that..." He trailed off. "Look, I'm about to take the girls shopping for dance outfits, care to join us?" Ryan quickly agreed and they got off the phone.

Twenty minutes later found Chad, Tanya and Jesse standing on the Evans's front porch. After quick, cursory hellos they agreed to take one of Ryan's cars as the truck really wasn't situated to handle all four of them. The next hour was spent with the girls getting fashion tips from Ryan about which colors show up best on stage and how many sequins should really be on a tutu. After the girls finally settled on matching leotards, one in bright sapphire and one in aqua marine ("So you're still twins, but you're still unique." Ryan explained and tapped their noses. "How do you know so much about being a twin?" Jesse piped up. "Because I have a twin sister too!" He smiled) the quartet left the shop for the nearest Chik-Fil-A. As the girls were playing around on the cow car in the play area Ryan finally turned to Chad.

"So what happened last night that you didn't call, or even text?" He asked, hands trembling and eyes unable to meet Chad's. Chad took a deep breath, willing himself to say the words.

"My dad saw. He was looking out the window when we said goodbye and he saw us kiss." He said in a rush. He looked up, into Ryan's eyes to gauge his reaction.

"What did he say?" Was all the blonde could think to ask.

"He forbade me from ever seeing you again. He thinks you brainwashed me gay." A sad little smile formed on his face. "I told him that you didn't brainwash me, that I love you." He said this last looking directly into Ryan's eyes, trying to pour all of his love out like tears.

"You told your dad that?" Disbelief and a hint of pride was evident in his voice.

"Yeah, and he hit me for it." Ryan gasped. He was silent for a moment and dropped his head, tears forming but he was able to hold them back.

"I'm sorry." He began, and continued before his boyfriend could reassure him that he was fine. "It's my fault. If only I'd... If I hadn't..." He couldn't finish the thought.

"Ryan, it's not your fault I fell in love with you." Chad denied.

"No, but if I hadn't slipped you that note... if I hadn't flirted and gotten you to ask me out then your father wouldn't have found out, wouldn't have hit you. Plus Troy would still be talking to you and you would have spent the entire summer playing basketball and flirting with Taylor instead of practicing for the talent show and getting hit by your dad for kissing a boy." Ryan said, now trying desperately to keep the tears from slipping out of his eyes.

"And I would have been miserable all summer watching you prance around the country club and not knowing if what I felt was just a phase and a crush or if it was a chance to experience the most exhilerating happiness of my life." Chad was going poetic now but he couldn't help it. Hell, he didn't even know where these words were coming from but he knew he got his point across. He saw the light in Ryan's eyes and knew the tears that spilled were caused by his words and not his boyfriend's sense of guilt. "I love you, Ry. And nothing my dad says is going to change that."

"I love you, too." The blonde said, and it was all he could do not to lean across the small table and kiss him.

* * *

**A/N: I'm terribly sorry that my chapters are all taking so long. You can thank reviewer Ai Linna-chan as well as the others who reviewed last chapter (and I thank every one of you VERY much) for me working through the night to bring you this chapter! PLEASE review, it really does help!**


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: I know you've all been waiting a really long time so I'll let you get right to the story but please see my apology at the bottom. And thank you for your loyalty.**

**Chapter 9**

Evening was pending. Ryan had driven everyone back to his place so Chad could pick up the truck. They said their farewells, sharing a deeply passionate kiss to the giggles of the twins, before the Danforth children left for home. Upon their arrival they found their mother in the kitchen preparing chicken breasts for dinner that evening.

"Hey girls, what outfits did you get?" She asked brightly. Chad could see the strain in her shoulders though, caused by her argument with her husband. Chad felt guilty. He did love Ryan but he loved his family more and didn't want their relationship to tear his world apart. The girls both started babbling about the day and Ryan's advice before pulling out their new clothes. Chad glanced quickly around the kitchen as though afraid his dad was there listening to the girls' ranting but he was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Dad?" He asked tentatively.

"Your father needed to cool off, he left for a bit of a drive about 20 minutes ago." The usually confident young man hung his head, even more guilt sweeping through him.

"I'm going up to my room." He said and left the room, ignoring the protests of his mother.

Twenty minutes later Melissa entered the bedroom of her only son. She knew it was really taking its toll on him that his parents were fighting. She saw the guilt in his eyes, the tension in his shoulders, and knew she had to get his father to accept this relationship before it drove him away, or drove the boys apart.

"Honey, your father will come around." She reassured her son, moving to sit next to him on his bed. "He just needs some time to get used to the idea. In the meantime, don't worry about it. And sweetie, I want you to know that this isn't your fault."

"Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome, sweetie. Now, dinner smells like it's ready, let's eat!"

Dinner was a tense affair and would have been completely silent if the girls hadn't still been rambling about their new outfits. Every time one of the twins mentioned Ryan's name Chad glanced surreptiously at their father and every time he noticed him carefully keeping his eyes on his plate while his jaw tensed just a little more. After dinner and the dishes were done Chad escaped to his room to call his boyfriend.

"Things are so stressful around here it's driving me crazy." He complained.

"I'm sorry, Love. Tomorrow you'll get to come back to work and we'll do nothing but lay in the cottage all day and relax." Ryan soothed.

"I can't wait. I'll see you tomorrow. Love you."

"Love you, too." And they hung up. Despite the stress and tension of the last few days Chad fell asleep with a smile on his face.

Morning dawned bright and clear. Chad scowled at the unfairness that the day outside didn't reflect his own misery. He always read in books that whenever the protagonist was having a hard time there was a storm brewing with thunder crackling in the distance, but outside his own window morning birds were calling in the sunrise and the cars left his neighborhood in peaceful abandon. When he left the house an hour later he tried to scowl again at the fact that the sunshine melted his stress away by degrees. He'd always loved being outdoors and the weather that morning, coupled with the fact that he was on his way to his and his boyfriend's little hide-away, made it feel like at least half the weight of the world was off his shoulders.

An hour later the boys found themselves in front of their own private getaway. As he had promised, Ryan began to lead Chad inside for some quality make-out time but Chad hesitated. In answer to the questioning look in his boyfriend's eyes he leaned down and kissed him.

"Much as I love kissing you, I think it would be easier to keep my mind off things if we were working on the cottage." Chad explained. Ryan looked just a little disappointed but quickly pushed it aside and agreed with the taller teen. They spent the next few hours preparing and whitewashing the outside of the cabin, as well as planting tulip bulbs in the small window box.

That afternoon Chad drove Ryan back to his house. He was late getting home himself and the way his father had been lately he didn't want to upset him further so he apologized for not walking Ry to his door, leaned over and kissed his angel deeply good-bye. Thoroughly distracted the dark-skinned boy didn't notice a certain someone standing next to his car on the other side of the driveway, nor did he notice the same someone following him the entire way home. It was only when he was getting out of his truck that he noticed the very familiar car that had just parked at the end of his driveway.

"Troy, what're you doing here?" Chad asked as the driver got out.

"I'm here to find out when the hell my best friend turned into a fag." Troy's sharp words flew across the air. Chad found himself stunned and unable to even think anything more complex than "How?" "I went over to the Evans' to try to make amends and offer to help with the remodeling only to find out you two weren't there. They said you were supposed to be back soon so I waited out by my car. Imagine my disgust when I saw you lean over and actually kiss that fuckin poof!" Troy's voice had gotten steadily louder and he practically spat the word poof. Suddenly his voice dropped to an accusing whisper. "Do your parent's know?" This snapped Chad out of his shocked stupor and made a bonfire of rage flare up in the pit of his stomach.

"Yes my family knows." Chad shot. "My dad hit me when he found out."

"Well it obviously didn't knock any sense into you." Troy said before his face fell into something akin to sadness. "Chad, tell me it's a phase or a mistake and no one needs to know. You can stop working there and come back to the hoops." It almost sounded like a plea but it only fueled Chad's anger.

"Fuck you, Troy. I'll tell you exactly what I told my dad. I will not stop seeing Ryan. I love him." It was Troy's turn to be stunned. After a moment or two of blank staring Troy's face became etched with anger and disgust and without another word he got back in his car and peeled away. Chad took a deep breath and steeled himself to go inside. As soon as he the door shut behind him he felt his mother's arms around him.

"Oh hunny, I'm so sorry." She said gently. As she held him, Chad looked over her shoulder and saw his dad come out of the living room and glance their way, confusion and something else spread across his face. Chad had to squeeze his eyes shut as his dad walked away.

"It'll work out." Chad's mother said as she pulled away. Chad glanced past her again to where his dad had disappeared down the hall.

"I hope so."

"Ready to finish making the cabin our home-away-from home?" Ryan greeted him the next day. Chad had told him, very briefly the night before, about his encounter with Troy and Ryan was trying very hard to distract him from his worries.

"I have a better idea." Chad said. "Tell me about the cabin. I want to know every minute of your history there." Ryan's smile made his bluff completely worth it. Chad still felt weird when Ryan referred to the cabin as "theirs" mostly because of the depth of Ryan's history there. It was part of the reason he wanted to know all of Ryan's best, and worst, memories there. But mostly he just wanted Ryan to keep talking so he didn't have to think about his possibly-former best friend.

"My dad had these trees planted when Shar and I were only 7. We used to come down here and help plant the really little trees and play in the sprinkler systems while they were watering. One day we were playing in a clearing the landscapers hadn't reached yet and Shar thought it would be awesome to set up a tent and hide away for the night. When the workers found us and told Mom and Dad the next morning Dad actually thought it would be a great idea. He had them create this perfectly circular glen and then brought in a crew to build the cabin. Shar and I even got to plan the layout. We would come here every night after school to do our homework and on weekends we would camp here. She loved dancing in the grass and climbing the trees to pretend we were sailors looking for land." Ryan had a far-off look in his eyes and an irrepressible smile curving his lips.

"When we were 10 we completely redecorated, hence the black marble. When we were 13 Shar slowly quit coming. By the beginning of 8th grade she had stopped all together. After my fall out with Tyler…" Ryan paused and Chad could see the strain of this memory on his boyfriend's face. Silently he wrapped his arms around the blonde's waist and held him against his chest. "After my fall out with Tyler," Ryan repeated, stronger than before. "I hid here for a week. I didn't go to school. I didn't even go home. Shar had to trek through the trees to bring me food but at the end of the week she got sick of it and swore she wouldn't bring me anymore." A sad little smile touched his face. "I knew she wouldn't let me starve but it kinda snapped me out of whatever kind of slump I was in. I told her about telling Tyler and how he had freaked out. Monday morning when we went in to school we found out he'd been spreading the rape rumors. That Friday was when the jocks tried… I spent so much time here after that. I rushed home early from school every day just so it couldn't happen again. After I started at East High I didn't come here as much. Actually, before I brought you here I hadn't been back in almost a year."

"Well then I'm proud to be the reason you found your way back." Chad whispered in Ryan's ear. Gently he nipped the lobe he was nuzzling and started kissing on Ry's neck. Hearing the hurt in his boyfriend's ear had made him want to erase the pain. They spent the next 2 hours lavishing one another with kisses before deciding it was time to do a little more work on the cottage and went shopping for towels and other accouterments for the bathroom, all in lovely shades of oranges and reds.

When Chad got home that evening his family was just getting ready for dinner. It was a tense affair yet again and nearly brought tears of anger to his eyes to think that things might continue on this way. He wanted so badly to fix the rift his relationship was creating within his family but he didn't want Ryan to be a casualty. As soon as he had finished eating he quickly excused himself, unable to bear the silence and tension. After trying, unsuccessfully, to distract himself he tucked the twins into bed and retired himself.

**A/N: Ok, thank you times a million to anyone who has stuck with me and had faith that I would finally update. I know it's taken forever and you have my sincerest apologies. My life has been in extreme turmoil lately including relationship issues and the fact that I'm not making nearly enough money at work. I'm only 20 yrs old and I own a home, I never realized how much work went into being a homeowner! Lol. Please know I am aware of every single person who has added this to their alerts/faves even if you don't review and I appreciate it more than you can imagine! Having fans is the biggest inspiration and I hope you'll let me know just how much you enjoy my story. **


	11. Chapter 10 Preview!

**A/N: OMG I'M BACK! I know it's been forever since a new chapter of this story has been posted and I apologize. You don't want to hear my excuses and hellish life stories so let's just get down to this. If anyone is still actually reading this PLEASE review. What I have here is only a preview of chapter 10 to see if anyone is still interested, a full chapter will be posted if I get 5 reviews (feel free to flame me for being gone so long!) and I'd also like to ask if anyone is interested in being my beta. If so either PM me or include your interest in your review. I humbly beg your forgiveness for my extended absence and as a peace offering I give you…**

**Chapter 10 – Preview**

Twenty minutes after Chad laid down he was still staring at the ceiling of his room. His mom must have convinced his dad not to argue while the kids were home for he heard nothing but the low buzz of the TV coming from downstairs. His thoughts kept coming back to his dad and Troy's reactions to his new relationship and doubt started blooming in his chest. These were people he'd known, respected, and even loved his entire life. His father had supported every decision he'd ever made and Troy had stood next to him through everything, even the inevitable fights growing up so close together caused. When Troy had decided to sing in the musical Chad had put aside his own feelings of being left behind (eventually) and supported his brother with everything in him. So if the two most respected people in his life thought he was making a mistake who was he to argue?

The sudden sound of his dad's footsteps on the stairs jolted him out of his musings and when the sound paused in front of his door he quickly turned his back to the door and attempted to slow his breathing, afraid his dad was going to come in and berate him more about Ryan.

Sure enough Chad saw a pinstripe of light grow and move across the wall as his door opened. His heart rate sped up as his temple throbbed in memory of his dad's reaction and Chad focused even harder on his breathing. _In-2-3-4 Out-2-3-4 In-2-3-4 Out-2-3-4_

"Chad?" His father called softly. "You awake, son?" Chad debated not replying until he heard something in his dad's voice. Doubt? No, it almost sounded like he hoped Chad would be asleep, that he wouldn't have to say what he came here to say. Chad turned to look at his dad.

_Let him squirm. _He thought heatedly as he spoke. "Yeah, I'm up." His dad still hesitated in the doorway but Chad was loathe to invite him in, to do anything in fact that would ease his dad's obvious discomfort. After another moment Charles sighed and stepped in to gingerly sit on the chair in front of Chad's computer desk.

"I saw you fighting with Troy earlier." A pregnant pause. Charles seemed to be waiting, expecting something from his son. For his part, Chad was already angry enough at his dad to want to ignore him and with the mention of his best friend's name a bitterness rose so strongly in his throat that even if he'd wanted to respond he would have been incapable of speech. So he kept quiet, letting his dad get to the real reason he'd come in here. "Does he know about…" Charles broke off again with a wince.

"About my boyfriend?" Chad filled in, the bitterness dislodging with the words, making his voice louder and sharper than he'd intended. His dad winced again though whether it was in reaction to the tone or the word boyfriend was unclear. "Yes, Dad, he does and he's not any happier about it than you are. With this Chad had to look away. The bitterness was still there and now it was threatening to spill out his eyes.

"Son, I just don't understand. You've never shown any signs of… feeling like this before. You've always been a good kid. Maintaining your grades, joining the basketball team. And what about that young lady in the Science Club? Taylor?"

Chad laughed to give a vent to his feelings that didn't involve tears. "Dad, Taylor..." He cut himself off before he could spill his friend's secret. He'd made a promise and no matter what kind of hell he was going through he didn't have the right to reveal her. Besides, telling his dad the girl everyone thought he was dating was gay probably wasn't the best argument for his case right now. His dad would likely start pointing to that as the reason his own son "turned". "Is a great girl, but she's just a friend. She's well aware I'm not interested in her as more and she has her eye on someone else." He covered.

"Well, there are plenty of other girls. In fact, I work with that girl Aislynn's dad. She's on the cheer squad you know? And according to her dad she almost never stops talking about you." There was a sick kind of hope in his dad's voice. Unfortunately Chad knew exactly who he was talking about and nearly gagged at the thought. Aislynn was gorgeous to be sure with her athletic curves and blonde hair that fell to the very lowest part of her back but she was known to be almost as spoiled as Sharpay. She was looking for nothing more than a conquest. The ability to show him off like expensive arm candy and say when it was over "That's right, I dated Chad Danforth." Chad was known around the school for never getting serious with a girl. Sure he'd checked them out right along with the rest of the guys but no matter what his dad said about never having shown signs of being gay before he'd always known he just didn't feel that "stir" when he looked at a girl. The few times he'd tried kissing one had just confirmed it.

"Dad," Chad said finally sitting up and looking his dad right in the eye, seeming more brave than he really felt. "I am in love with Ryan Evans. He makes me happy and I have no interest in changing that. So please either accept it or let me go to bed. It's not something I feel like discussing any further." And Chad lay back down with his back to the rest of the room. As soon as he heard the door closed a single, lonely tear escaped onto his pillow as he squeezed his eyes shut, curled up in a ball and forced himself to fall asleep.

**A/N: Well? Please tell me it didn't suck terribly! This is far from the end of this conversation but tell me you're not proud of Chad standing up to his dad?! OK review time and I'll give you cookies (in the form of more story!)**


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